Abstract
Chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSM) has been prepared by the gasβsolid method in a tank reactor using chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) and a gaseous mixture of chlorine and dioxide sulfur. Sulfur content of CSM determined by element analysis is used as a reference for the quantitative determination of the degree of chlorosulfonation. The effects of reaction temperature, effective gaseous mixture concentration, particle size of CPE, and the ratio of chlorine to dioxide sulfur on chlorosulfonation are investigated. The results indicate that with the increment of reaction temperature within the range of from 30 to 50Β°C, the rate of chlorosulfonation during the later reaction period (15β25 min) is markedly increased and the prepared CSM has higher sulfur content. It was also found that the rate of chlorosulfonation increases with the effective gaseous mixture concentration, and that the ratio of chlorine to dioxide sulfur is preferably 1 : 1. It was proven that HCl, byβproduct of the chlorosulfonation, can accelerate the rate of chlorosulfonation when the volume concentration of HCl is lower than 40%, and that the presence of oxide results in higher sulfur content of the resultant CSM. Β© 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 81: 3582β3588, 2001