Process for polymer reactions with functionalized peroxides

A process for crosslinking an olefin polymer, comprising heating a non-crosslinked olefin polymer and about 0.001% by weight to about 10% by weight of a peroxide compound at a temperature effective to crosslink the olefin polymer, the peroxide compound having the following Formula I:

• ##STR43## wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.6 and R.sup.7 are independently a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl diradical of 1 to 18 carbons, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl diradical of 5 to 18 carbons, a substituted or unsubstituted bicycloalkyl diradical of 7 to 12 carbons, a substituted or unsubstituted bicycloalkenyl diradical of 7 to 12 carbons, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl diradical of 2 to 18 carbons, a substituted or unsubstituted alkynyl diradical of 2 to 18 carbons, a substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl diradical of 7 to 18 carbons, a substituted or unsubstituted naphthyl diradical or a substituted or unsubstituted diradical having the following Formula II:
• ##STR44## with the proviso that when X is a direct bond, R.sup.6 is not a tertiary alkyl diradical;
• R.sup.3 is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl diradical of 1 to 18 carbons, a substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl diradical of 7 to 18 carbons, a substituted or unsubstituted naphthyl diradical or the substituted or unsubstituted diradical having the Formula II;
• R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 are independently a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl radical of 1 to 10 carbons;
• R.sup.8 is a direct bond, --O--, --S--, --S(.dbd.O).sub.2 --, --C(.dbd.O)--, --C(.dbd.O)--O--, --O--C(.dbd.O)--, --O--C(.dbd.O)--O--, --NH--C(.dbd.O)--, --C(.dbd.O)--NH--, --NH--C(.dbd.O)--NH-- or a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl diradical of 1 to 6 carbons;
• X is a direct bond;
• Y.sup.1, Y.sup.2 and Y.sup.3 are independently --O--, --S--, --S(.dbd.O).sub.2 --, --C(.dbd.O)--, --C(.dbd.O)--O--, --O--C(.dbd.O)--, --O--C(.dbd.O)--O--, --NH--C(.dbd.O)--, --C(.dbd.O)--NH--, --NH--C(.dbd.O)--O--, --O--C(.dbd.O)--NH--, --NH--C(.dbd.O)--NH, --C(.dbd.O)--C(.dbd.O)--, --O--C(.dbd.O)--C(.dbd.O)--O--, --NH--C(.dbd.O)--C(.dbd.O)--NH--, --NH--C(.dbd.O)--C(.dbd.O)--O-- or --O--C(.dbd.O)--C(.dbd.O)--NH--;
• Z.sup.1 is H.sub.2 N--, O.dbd.C.dbd.N--, Cl--C(.dbd.O)--, Br--C(.dbd.O)--, HO--C(.dbd.O)--, ##STR45## H.sub.2 N--C(R.sup.9)(R.sup.10)--(CH.sub.2).sub.w --Y.sup.1 -- or R.sup.11 --O--C(.dbd.O)--;
• Z.sup.2 is H.sub.2 N--, O.dbd.C.dbd.N--, Cl--C(.dbd.O)--, Br--C(.dbd.O)--, ##STR46## or H.sub.2 N--C(R.sup.9)(R.sup.10)--(CH.sub.2).sub.w --Y.sup.1 --;
• R.sup.9 and R.sup.10 are independently hydrogen or a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl radical of 1 to 4 carbons;
• R.sup.11 is an alkyl radical of 1-4 carbons, benzyl or phenyl;
• t, x, y and z are independently 0 or 1;
• w is an integer from 1 to 12;
• and
• substituents for any of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5, R.sup.6, R.sup.7, R.sup.8, R.sup.9 or R.sup.10 are independently one or more of chloro, bromo, fluoro, cyano, amino, sulfo, carboxy, nitro, alkoxy of 1 to 12 carbons, alkylamino of 1 to 12 carbons, acyloxy of 1 to 12 carbons, alkenoyloxy of 3 to 12 carbons, alkenoylamino of 3 to 12 carbons, aroyloxy of 7 to 15 carbons, aroylamino of 7 to 15 carbons, phthalimido, alkoxycarbonyloxy of 2 to 13 carbons, alkoxycarbonylamino of 2 to 13 carbons, alkenyloxycarbonyloxy of 3 to 12 carbons, alkenyloxycarbonylamino of 3 to 12 carbons, aryloxycarbonyloxy of 7 to 15 carbons, alkylaminocarbonyloxy of 2 to 13 carbons, arylaminocarbonyloxy of 7 to 15 carbons, aralkylaminocarbonyloxy of 7 to 16 carbons, alkylsulfonyloxy of 1 to 8 carbons, alkylsulfonylamino of 1 to 8 carbons, arylsulfonylamino of 6 to 11 carbons or epoxyalkoxycarbonyl of 2 to 13 carbons.

A process for reducing the molecular weight of a propylene polymer and modifying the molecular weight distribution of a propylene polymer comprising heating a propylene polymer selected from the group consisting of polypropylene polymers and propylene copolymers and about 0.001% by weight to about 5% by weight of a peroxide compound at a temperature effective to reduce the molecular weight and to modify the molecular weight distribution of the propylene polymer, the peroxide compound having the following Formula I;

• ##STR50## wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.6 and R.sup.7 are independently a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl diradical of 1 to 18 carbons, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl diradical of 5 to 18 carbons, a substituted or unsubstituted bicycloalkyl diradical of 7 to 12 carbons, a substituted or unsubstituted bicycloalkenyl diradical of 7 to 12 carbons, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl diradical of 2 to 18 carbons, a substituted or unsubstituted alkynyl diradical of 2 to 18 carbons, a substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl diradical of 7 to 18 carbons, a substituted or unsubstituted naphthyl diradical or a substituted or unsubstituted diradical having the following Formula II:
• ##STR51## with the proviso that when X is a direct bond, R.sup.6 is not a tertiary alkyl diradical;
• R.sup.3 is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl diradical of 1 to 18 carbons, a substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl diradical of 7 to 18 carbons, a substituted or unsubstituted naphthyl diradical or the substituted or unsubstituted diradical having the Formula II;
• R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 are independently a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl radical of 1 to 10 carbons;
• R.sup.8 is a direct bond, --O--, --S--, --S(.dbd.O).sub.2 --, --C(.dbd.O)--, --C(.dbd.O)--O--, --O--C(.dbd.O)--, --O--C(.dbd.O)--O--, --NH--C(.dbd.O)--, --C(.dbd.O)--NH--, --NH--C(.dbd.)--NH-- or a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl diradical of 1 to 6 carbons;
• X is a direct bond;
• Y.sup.1, Y.sup.2 and Y.sup.3 are independently --O--, --S--, --S(.dbd.O).sub.2 --, --C(.dbd.O)--, --C(.dbd.O)--O--, --O--C(.dbd.O)--, --O--C(.dbd.O)--O--, --NH--C(.dbd.O)--, --C(.dbd.O)--NH--, --NH--C(.dbd.O)--O--, --O--C(.dbd.O)--NH--, --NH--C(.dbd.O)--NH, --C(.dbd.O)--C(.dbd.O)--, --O--C(.dbd.O)--C(.dbd.O)--O--, --NH--C(.dbd.O)--C(.dbd.O)--NH--, --NH--C(.dbd.O)--C(.dbd.O)--O-- or --O--C(.dbd.O)--C(.dbd.O)--NH--;
• Z.sup.1 is H.sub.2 N--, O.dbd.C.dbd.N--, Cl--C(.dbd.O)--, Br--C(.dbd.O)--, HO--C(.dbd.O)--, ##STR52## H.sub.2 N--C(R.sup.9)(R.sup.10)--(CH.sub.2).sub.w --Y.sup.1 -- or R.sup.11 --O--C(O.dbd.)--;
• Z.sup.2 is H.sub.2 N--, O.dbd.C.dbd.N--, Cl--C(.dbd.O)--, Br--C(.dbd.O)--, ##STR53## or H.sub.2 N--C(R.sup.9)(R.sup.10)--(CH.sub.2).sub.w --Y.sup.1 --;
• R.sup.9 and R.sup.10 are independently hydrogen or a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl radical of 1 to 4 carbons;
• R.sup.11 is an alkyl radical of 1-4 carbons, benzyl or phenyl;
• t, x, y and z are independently 0 or 1;
• w is an integer from 1 to 12;
• and
• substituents for any of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5, R.sup.6, R.sup.7, R.sup.8, R.sup.9 or R.sup.10 are independently one or more of chloro, bromo, fluoro, cyano, amino, sulfo, carboxy, nitro, alkoxy of 1 to 12 carbons, alkylamino of 1 to 12 carbons, acyloxy of 1 to 12 carbons, alkenoyloxy of 3 to 12 carbons, alkenoylamino of 3 to 12 carbons, aroyloxy of 7 to 15 carbons, aroylamino of 7 to 15 carbons, phthalimido, alkoxycarbonyloxy of 2 to 13 carbons, alkoxycarbonylamino of 2 to 13 carbons, alkenyloxycarbonyloxy of 3 to 12 carbons, alkenyloxycarbonylamino of 3 to 12 carbons, aryloxycarbonyloxy of 7 to 15 carbons, alkylaminocarbonyloxy of 2 to 13 carbons, arylaminocarbonyloxy of 7 to 15 carbons, aralkylaminocarbonyloxy of 7 to 16 carbons, alkylsulfonyloxy of 1 to 8 carbons, alkylsulfonylamino of 1 to 8 carbons, arylsulfonylamino of 6 to 11 carbons or epoxyalkoxycarbonyl of 2 to 13 carbons.