The utility of sulfonic acid catalysts for silane water-crosslinked network formation in the ethylene–propylene copolymer system

Catalytic effects of Brönsted acid on the early kinetics of water-crosslinking reaction in the vinyltrimethoxysilane-grafted ethylene–propylene copolymer (EPR- g -VTMS) system were investigated by means of an attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) technique and gel fraction measurements. Four sulfonic acids with different substituent, including methanesulfonic acid (C1SO 3 H), 1-propanesulfonic acid (C3SO 3 H), 1-pentanesulfonic acid (C5SO 3 H), and dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (C12PhSO 3 H), were selected to examine the progress and effect of progressive changes in the silane water-crosslinked network structure in comparison with a primary amine ( n -octadecylamine, Lewis base). From the kinetic analysis using Arrhenius equation, we found that the frequency factors for both hydrolysis (ATR-FTIR) and condensation step (gel content) of EPR- g -VTMS decreased in the order of C1SO 3 H > C3SO 3 H > C5SO 3 H > C12PhSO 3 H, while the activation energy values for each reaction did not differ significantly. These relationships can be explained mainly on the basis of the diffusion factors of the sulfonic acids in EPR- g -VTMS system. Moreover, the stress–strain curve comparison between water-crosslinked EPR- g -VTMS samples containing sulfonic acid and amine compound clearly indicated the difference in their tensile properties as a result of the catalyst variation; the use of sulfonic acid as water-crosslinking catalyst eventually achieves to the soft and tough water-crosslinked EPR- g -VTMS, while the hard and strong one was produced using amine catalyst. Not only the catalytic activity but also the type of the catalyst has eventually significant effects upon the physical properties of the water-crosslinked EPR- g -VTMS.