Chlorinated polyethylene. II. Chlorine distribution on the polymer chains

The nature of substitution in a slurry‐phase chlorination of high‐density polyethylene was studied using NMR and IR spectroscopy. The ratios of γ (or greater) methylenes were obtained from the NMR at different chlorine levels and compared with the theoretically predicted values based on a statistical treatment for substitution polymers. The results indicted that, unlike chlorosulfonated polyethylene, chlorinated polyethylene shows a hindered‐type substitution. Molecular weight of the parent polyethylene, the degree of chlorination and the degree of residual crystallinity of the samples have no bearing on the type of substitution.