Free Ethylene Radical Polymerization under Mild Conditions: The Impact of the Solvent

Etienne Grau (1, 2) , Jean-Pierre Broyer (3) , Christophe Boisson (3) , Roger Spitz (3) , Vincent Monteil (3)

1 LCPO - Laboratoire de Chimie des Polymères Organiques
2 Team 2 LCPO : Biopolymers & Bio-sourced Polymers
3 C2P2 - Laboratoire de Chimie, Catalyse, Polymères et Procédés, R 5265

Ethylene polymerization is performed industrially either by radical polymerization under severe conditions (1000-4000 bar, 200-300°C) or by catalytic mechanism at lower temperatures (usually less than 100°C) and pressures (below 50 bar). Standard radical polymerization conditions are too severe to permit a fine control of the macromolecular architecture. Under milder conditions radical ethylene polymerization is assumed to be ineffective, which has been confirmed using toluene as solvent. The efficiency of free radical polymerization under mild conditions (up to 250 bar of ethylene and a polymerization temperature between 50°C to 90°C) has been investigated in THF which is a more polar solvent than toluene. In this solvent, polyethylene has been obtained with relatively good yields highlighting an unexpected high solvent effect in the free radical ethylene polymerization. This solvent effect has been rationalized using theoretical considerations

Mots clés: ethylene; polyethylene

Domaines: Polymères

Etienne Grau, Jean-Pierre Broyer, Christophe Boisson, Roger Spitz, Vincent Monteil. Free Ethylene Radical Polymerization under Mild Conditions: The Impact of the Solvent. Macromolecules, 2009, 42 (19), pp.7279-7281. ⟨10.1021/ma901622u⟩. ⟨hal-00944969⟩