It is shown that the elevated temperature study of oxygen gas absorption by polyethylene resins is freed of the troublesome flow of polymer by the use of thin supporting metallic screens whose thickness defines the depth of the molten resin specimen. The influence of the screen composition on reaction rate is measured for several metals. The oxygen absorption reaction with the use of supporting Monel metal screens exhibits the classical response to free radical inhibitors and has the same energy of activation that characterizes the absorption reaction without screen. Using the device of supporting screens in a simplified oxygen gas absorption apparatus made from a modified Abderhalden drying pistol, we found that methyl branching predisposes to resin oxidizability in the expected manner. Unsaturation, however, does not correlate experimentally with oxygen absorption curve. In addition, a parameter related to molecular size, probably the polymeric endgroups, is seen to influence polyethylene oxidizability.
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Meltzer et al. (1960) studied this question.