화학공학소재연구정보센터
Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry, Vol.36, No.6, 889-900, 1998
Synthesis of poly(hydroxymethylene-co-ethylene) by hydrogenation of the ethylene and carbon monoxide copolymer obtained by radical initiator with Ru/alpha-alumina and oxygen gas permeability
A new polymer (polyalcohol) was synthesized by hydrogenation of an ethylene carbon monoxide (GO) copolymer produced by a radical method with a catalyst and H-2. The Ru/alpha-alumina catalyst systems showed an excellent activity for hydrogenation of the radical copolymer of CH2=CH2 and CO. Films prepared by melting and pressing the synthesized polyalcohol had a high gas barrier property and high tensile modulus. This new polymer has hydroxymethylenic units [-CH(OH)-] and ethylenic units [-CH2CH2-] in its molecular structure. The new functional polymer poly(hydroxymethylene-co-ethylene), -[-CH(OH)-](n)[-CH2CH2-](m)-, is amorphous and has excellent and important properties as a high oxygen gas barrier film for wrapping and storage. This may be attributed to the new structure of poly(hydroxymethylene-co-ethylene) (PHME as an TUPAC name), or ethylene methine alcohol copolymer (EVOH as a generic name), compared to the other ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH as a generic name), -[CH2CH2-](m)-[-CH2CH(OH)-](n)-, which is used as one of the highest gas barrier polymers.