Catalytic action of metal salts in autoxidation and polymerization. X. The effect of various metal stearates on the thermal oxidation of 2,6,10,14-tetramethylpentadecane

The various metal stearate-catalyzed thermal oxidations of 2,6,10,14,-tetramethylpentadecane (TMPD, a model compound of polypropylene) and the decomposition of TMPD hydroperoxide (TMPD-HPO) were carried out. The results obtained were compared with those of the oxidation of polypropylene reported previously;18 and the initial tion process of the oxidation of the polymer is discussed. The catalytic activity of metastearates in the oxidation of polypropylene differed from that in the oxidation of pure TMPD and was fairly similar to that in the oxidation of TMPD with TMPD-HPO. The more effective the catalyst for the decomposition of TMPD-HPO, the more effective it was for the oxidation of both TMPD with TMPD-HPO and polypropylene. The results apparently indicate that metal catalysts enhance the decomposition of hydroperoxides which presumably contaminate the polymer and form during the oxidation, and also imply that the initiation of the oxidation of polypropylene is primarily affected by the presence of hydroperoxide contamination of the polymer.