Structure and solubility of chlorinated poly(vinyl chloride) prepared by a gas–solid phase method

ABSTRACT Here, we modified the chlorination of a poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) through a gas–solid phase method to prepare a highly soluble chlorinated PVC (CPVC). The structure of the CPVC was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, hydrogen‐1 nuclear magnetic resonance, gel permeation chromatography, and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, and the effects of molecular structure [gel content and vinylidene chloride (CCl2) molecular weight and distribution] on the solubility of CPVC were investigated. Results showed that molecular structures, such as CCl2, double bond, gel, molecular weight, and distribution had an effect on solubility, and the solubility of CPVC decreased with the increase in CCl2 content, number of double bonds, amount of gel, molecular weight, and distribution. The greater the degree of Inhomogeneous chlorination PVC particles or hydrochloride removal on the molecular chain is, the worse the solubility of CPVC is. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 46880.