Degradable polyethylene plastics from the nonalternating terpolymerization of ethylene, CO, and polar monomers

This study is led by Dr. Zhongbao Jian (State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, CAS). The E/CO/PM terpolymerizations were carried out with seven palladium catalysts, which were strictly non-alternating (>99%) with Pd4. Polar monomers included acrylates, acrylic acid, vinyl ethers, vinyl acetate and acrylonitrile (Fig. 1). High molecular weight linear polyethylene with the low content of isolated carbonyl group (selectivity > 99%) and polar functional group was developed.

The molecular structure of the resulting p7olymer was analyzed in detail (Fig. 2), and the microstructure of the E/CO/PM copolymer was clearly characterized by IR, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H/¹³C/2D NMR) and ¹³CO labeling technology.

The properties of the resulting polymers were comprehensively tested by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WXRD), tensile testing, water contact angle (WCA) experiments, and photodegradation experimental techniques (Fig. 3).