ORGANOTELLURIUM COMPOUNDS AS STABILIZERS FOR POLYMERIC MATERIALS

The thermal stability of a series of organotellurium compounds was det ermined by thermogravimetric analysis and the stabilizing capacity of the most heat-resistant compounds assessed in natural rubber, polyethy lene, and polypropylene by measurement of the oxidative induction time (OIT). The most active compounds, bis[4-(dimethylamino)phenyl]telluri de (5) and bis [2,6-dimethyl-4-(dimethylamino)phenyl]telluride (10) st abilized natural rubber considerably at the 1% level and even more so at the 2% level. A similar stabilizing effect of compound 5 was found in polyethylene and polypropylene at the 0.1% level. (C) 1996 John Wil ey & Sons, Inc.