Preparation and properties of terpolymers of ethylene, vinyl acetate and vinyl alcohol

Several terpolymers of ethylene, vinyl acetate and vinyl alcohol have been prepared by controlled transformation into hydroxyls of the acetate groups of an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (with 28 wt.-% in vinyl acetate). Th e degree of transformation has been determined by H-1 NMR. Samples covering the entire range of transformations have been obtained, and their properti es have been analyzed by DSC and X-ray diffraction. The results how a marke d increase of both melting temperature and crystallinity as the degree of t ransformation increases, owing to the fact that the vinyl alcohol units are able to cocrystallize in the polyethylene lattice, while the acetate group s are excluded.