Synthesis of Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight Polyethylene with an Elevated Melting Point in an Octafluorobutane Medium

Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) with an elevated melting point T-m of up to 144 degrees C has been successfully fabricated by suspension polymerization initiated by Ziegler-Natta catalysts in a 1H,4H-octafluorobutane medium. This method allows one to efficiently perform the polymerization at a near-ambient temperature and a near-atmospheric ethylene pressure. The obtained polyethylenes have been characterized by IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and thermal analysis, and the melting points and degrees of crystallinity of the synthesized polymers have been found.

Automated summary

Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) with an elevated melting point T-m of up to 144 degrees C has been successfully fabricated by suspension polymerization initiated by Ziegler-Natta catalysts in a 1H,4H-octafluorobutane medium. This method allows efficient polymerization at near-ambient temperature and near-atmospheric ethylene pressure. The synthesized polymers have been characterized by IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and thermal analysis to determine melting points and degrees of crystallinity.