A study of radical graft copolymerization on polypropylene during extrusion using two peroxide initiators

Abstract

Abstract Functionalization of polypropylene (PP) during melt extrusion has been explored extensively. In this study, two different radical initiators were employed and compared in grafting acyclic halamine precursors to PP. 2,4‐Diamino‐6‐diallylamino‐1,3,5‐triazine (NDAM) was grafted onto PP during a melt‐extrusion process using either 2,5‐dimethyl‐2,5‐( tert ‐butylperoxy)hexyne (DTBHY) or dicumyl peroxide (DCP) as initiator. The results confirmed the radical graft copolymerization of the monomer onto the PP backbone during the reactive extrusion process. It was revealed that, at low monomer concentration, when peroxide initiator concentration was increased, polymer chain scission became dominant. DCP was more efficient than DTBHY as an initiator in the graft polymerization. After exposure to chlorine bleach, the grafted structures could be easily transformed into N ‐halamines, which provided powerful, durable and regenerable antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus . It is concluded that both DCP and DTBHY could be used as radical initiators in reactive extrusion to graft certain vinyl monomers to PP. The NDAM‐grafted PP could provide expected antibacterial function after chlorination of the grafted product in a chlorine bleach solution. The modified PP showed great potential for use in medical devices and non‐woven textiles. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry