Exploring Functionalities for the Development of High Thermal Stability Polypropylene-Based Dielectrics

Abstract

The motivation of this study was to explore theviability of a new strategy, aimed at substantially improving boththermal and dielectric performance of polypropylene (PP),especially under oxidative conditions, by preparing in a singlestep a self-cross-linkable functionalized PP. For that purpose, anα-olefin bearing theN-alkylpyrrole moiety was copolymerized withpropylene, by using metallocene catalysis, and the obtainedmaterials thoroughly characterized. Thermal treatment at process-ing temperatures of the obtained copolymers proved that radicalchemistry associated with this function provides,per se,efficient PPcross-linking. The copolymers show high dielectric reliability andretain aflexible behavior, thus breaking new ground in the single-step preparation of high thermal stability PP-based dielectrics.