Random crosslinking of an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer and a metallocene polyolefin elastomer in the presence of polyfunctional monomers

A combination of Monte Carlo simulation and gel content experiments was use d to study the molecular structural evolution of two randomly crosslinked s ystems: ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer and metallocene polyolefin elastom er in the presence of a triallyl cyanurate polyfunctional monomer (PFM). Th e molecular weight distributions, crosslinking density and PFM density evol utions are simulated. There exist gaps in the crosslinking density and the bonded PFM density, between the gel and the sol fractions. The density gaps widen as the crosslinking reaction proceeds. Towards the end of the reacti on, the gel crosslinking density increases at a rate higher than that for t he gel PFM density. The crosslinking level for the PFM molecules in the gel fraction is much higher than that in the sol fraction. The evolved structu res for the two polymer systems during the reaction are also discussed. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.