Poly(p-phenylene ether) (PPE) grafted with high-density polyethylene (HDPE), to form PPE-g-HDPE graft copolymers, were prepared by Friedel-Crafts alkylation of vinyl terminated HDPEs onto PPE. High and low molecular weight (MW) vinyl terminated HDPE precursors were synthesized by coordination insertion polymerization with organometallic catalysts that favor beta-hydride transfer. Both types of copolymers are highly effective compatibilizers for PPE/HDPE blends when PPE is the minor phase. The symmetric PPE-g-HDPE copolymer with high MW grafted HDPE shows a somewhat higher efficacy at reducing the dispersed phase size and delaying the onset of PPE phase continuity. However, when HDPE is the minor phase, the asymmetric PPE-g-HDPE copolymer with low-molecular-weight grafted HDPE appears to be more effective at reducing particle anisotropy and at delaying the HDPE phase continuity onset. This delay in HDPE phase continuity onset, in turn, allows the retention of high-temperature PPE stiffness in the blends with 20 wt% HDPE. An examination of the glass transition temperatures indicates that the symmetric copolymer with higher HDPE MW appears to have a marked tendency to form micelles within PPE and thus is less effective at modifying the HDPE/PPE interface when PPE is the matrix.

通过将乙烯基封端的HDPEs烷基化到PPE上，进行Friedel-Crafts烷基化反应，制备了与高密度聚乙烯（HDPE）接枝形成PPE-g-HDPE接枝共聚物的聚对苯醚（PPE）。高和低分子量（MW）乙烯基封端的HDPE前体是通过与有利于β-氢化物转移的有机金属催化剂进行配位插入聚合而合成的。当PPE是次要相时，两种类型的共聚物都是PPE / HDPE共混物的高效增容剂。具有高分子量接枝HDPE的对称PPE-g-HDPE共聚物在减小分散相尺寸和延迟PPE相连续性的发作方面显示出更高的功效。但是，当HDPE是次要阶段时，具有低分子量接枝HDPE的不对称PPE-g-HDPE共聚物似乎在降低颗粒各向异性和延迟HDPE相连续性发作方面更有效。HDPE相连续性开始的这种延迟反过来又允许在具有20 wt％HDPE的共混物中保留高温PPE刚度。对玻璃化转变温度的检查表明，具有较高HDPE MW的对称共聚物似乎具有在PPE内形成胶束的明显趋势，因此当以PPE为基质时，在改性HDPE / PPE界面方面效果较差。