Synthesis of Poly(butyl)acrylate Grafted Polychloroprene Rubber Via Reverse Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization and Its Characterization

ABSTRACT Grafting is a useful synthetic method that allows for the tailoring of polymers with desired microstructure and properties, which can be very difficult to achieve with individual homopolymers. In the present work, reverse atom transfer radical polymerization (RATRP) is utilized to graft poly(butyl) acrylate on polychloroprene rubber (CR). The grafting was carried out in toluene at 90°C, using AIBN as a thermal initiator, PMDETA as a ligand, and CuBr 2 as a catalyst. The study evaluates the physical and chemical characteristics of the grafted CR (CR‐g‐PBA). Elemental properties are evaluated by FTIR, XRD, and UV‐Vis analyzes. The polydispersity index (PDI) and average molecular weights are determined by GPC. Morphological study is analyzed by SEM. Thermal property is studied by TGA/DTG, and mechanical property is studied by texture analyzer (TA). The thermal stability of grafted CR was enhanced by the incorporation of butyl acrylate as evidenced by the TGA result. The TA result shows that the grafted polychloroprene has improved mechanical properties. The grafted CR's oil resistance is superior to the pristine CR, as evidenced by the swelling test against paraffin oil. Moisture resistance tests for the grafted polymer were also carried out with the aim of evaluating its properties for different applications.