Hydrosilylation of Polypropylene

A novel reactive extrusion process has been developed for the production of hydrosilylated polypropylene resins from commodity grade polypropylene. This process provides a way to modify polypropylene with desirable functionality, such as increased adhesion, chemical reactivity, or hydrophilicity characteristics. Moreover, this procedure opens a path to the formation of new and interesting di-block copolymers and compatibilizers for polymer blends or inorganic fillers.

Several organofunctional silanes and siloxanes may be used to introduce terminal functionalities onto the base polypropylene resin, without introducing cross linking or non-linear polymer chains. Functionalization is accomplished through either a free radical or a catalytic reaction mechanism. Traditional hydrosilylation processes utilize solution chemistry that requires subsequent precipitation and drying processing steps, both of which require higher energy, material handling, and labour costs. This invention offers a unique way to produce hydrosilylated polypropylene in the melt phase, thus allowing for a single step reactive-extrusion process to be utilized.

Although the invention has been developed with reference to polypropylene, the process is applicable to all types of polyolefins or any other polymers which are inert to the conditions of the hydrosilylation. This process will be of interest to manufacturers of modified\engineered plastics and EPDM rubber

Type of Offer: Licensing



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