ETHYLENISCHE HAUPTKETTEN UND BENZYL-,ALLYL-, ODER ETHER-SEITENKETTEN ENTHALTENDE ZUSAMMENSETZUNGEN, SAUERSTOFF ENTFERNENDE ZUSAMMENSETZUNGEN, UND VERFAHREN ZUR HERSTELLUNG DIESEN ZUSAMMENSETZUNGEN DURCH VERESTERUNG ODER TRANSVERESTERUNG EINES POLYMERSCHMELZES

Disclosed is a process for esterifying and/or transesterifying a polymer having a polyethylenic backbone and pendant acid and/or ester moieties comprising contacting a melt of the polymer with a transesterifying compound so that the polymer undergoes esterification and/or transesterification but not alcoholysis. The esterified or transesterified polymer also has pendant ester moieties which differ in kind and/or number from the unreacted polymer. In one embodiment, the process also comprises adding an amount of a transition metal salt that is effective to promote oxygen scavenging. Also in a further embodiment, the process comprises irridiating the transesterified polymer with actinic radiation to reduce the induction period before oxygen scavenging commences. Also disclosed are compositions comprising a component which comprises an ethylenic or polyethylenic backbone and a pendant or terminal moiety comprising a benzylic, allylic, or ether-containing radical. The invention also embodies new polyethylenic oxygen scavenging compositions comprising a transition-metal salt and the above component. Methods of making the compositions, and methods and compositions using the ethylenic or polyethylenic compositions, are disclosed.