USING NITRIC OXIDE TO REDUCE REACTOR FOULING DURING POLYPROPYLENE GRAFT COPOLYMERIZATION

摘要

A graft copolymer comprising a backbone of a propylene polymer material havi ng a vinyl monomer graft polymerized thereto is produced by (1) treating a prop ylene polymer material with a free radical polymerization initiator, (2) treating the propylene polymer material with at least one grafting monomer capable of being polymer ized by free radicals, and (3) removing any unreacted grafting monomer from the graf t copolymerized propylene polymer material, decomposing any unreacted initiato r, and deactivating any residual free radicals in the material, wherein (1) and (2) are carried out in the presence of a continuous feed of nitric oxide. The nitric oxide reduc es the buildup of polymer deposits on reactor walls and gas circulation loops while having almost no effect on the graft copolymerization reaction.