Maleic anhydride modification of polyolefin in an internal mixer and a twin-screw extruder: Experiment and kinetic model

摘要

There has been little effort to quantitatively understand graft copolymerization in batch and continuous mixers. Little information exists on the evolution of grafting reactions with respect to residence time in an internal mixer or along the screw axis in a twin-screw extruder. In this study, maleic anhydride was grafted onto polypropylene in both an internal mixer and a twin screw extruder. The influence of residence time on degree of grafting in an internal mixer and a twin screw extruder was studied through measuring reaction yields with respect to reaction time in the internal mixer as well as along the screw axis in the extruder. The dependence of the degree of grafting with monomer and peroxide concentration was determined. A free radical kinetic model of the process was developed and compared to experiment. Kinetic parameters were determined. [References: 42]