New Curable Propylene Copolymers Containing Tert-Butoxysilane Side Groups

In this work, new, crosslinkable copolymers from propylene and di-tert-butoxy(methyl)(oct-7-enyl)silane are presented. The silane-functionalized monomer is obtained by hydrosilylation of 1,7-octadiene with dichloromethylsilane, followed by the substitution of the chloro atoms by tert-butoxy groups. Homopolymerization and copolymerization with propylene are performed using rac-[ethylenebis(indenyl)]zirconium dichloride. The tert-butoxysilane groups are easily cleaved by acid-catalyzed processes. The resulting copolymer can be completely crosslinked via the tert-butoxysilane functionality to obtain insoluble polymeric material and the gel content of the polymers with different silane content is determined. This method allows control of the copolymer composition and thus of the subsequent extent of crosslinking.