Abstract
The reaction of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) with N-(N'-arylamino)maleimide derivatives was studied. The thermal stability of the modified polymer was improved markedly when compared with that of the unmodified polymer. The stability improvement was attributed to the replacement of the labile chlorine atoms by more stable organic groups. The modified polymer also showed a lower extent of discoloration when compared with that of unmodified PVC. In order to introduce a polymeric stabilizer into PVC, the dienophilic monomer was chemically grafted onto the polymeric chains. The mechanism of the chemical modification as well as that of the graft copolymerization are discussed. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 14:167-174, 2008. (C) 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers