| Abstract: | As plastics are being used in a variety of applications, demands on a greater level of processing stability are increasing. Phosphites are noteworthy as effective processing stabilizer and the performance of phosphite antioxidants can be correlated to the chemical structure of phosphites. Cyclic phosphite esters derived from 2, 2′ methylene bis-2, 4-di-tert-butylphenol and some commercially available phosphites were submitted to comparative studies. Decomposition of cumene hydroperoxide, melt flow of polypropylene and consumption of additives after multiple extrusions were investigated to understand the activity of phosphites as process stabilizers in polypropylene. This study suggests that phosphites play an important role in process stabilization when used in combination with sterically hindered phenols, and that the activity of phosphites may be predicted by their reactivity on hydroperoxide. |
