FUNDAMENTAL-STUDY ON THE CROSSLINKABILITY OF POLYETHYLENE USING DIFFERENT BIFUNCTIONAL ORGANOSILANES

Using an internal laboratory mixer five different bifunctional organic silanes are tested in order to check their grafting and compounding b ehaviour. The grafting rates, crosslinking behaviour and gel contents of the modified polymeres, detected by FTIR and hot extraction, show c lear differences compared to those of the usual VTMOS in accordance wi th the substituents and the degree of substitution al the central sili ca atom. Defined changes in the structure of the grafting molecules al lowed us to create agents which lead to crosslinked polymers with comp arable properties, but showing better handling and processability.