Reaction of sulfur with poly(vinyl chloride)

The reaction of elemental sulfur with poly(vinyl chloride) is studied in 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene and without any solvent under various conditions. Black polymers containing 3.77–57.64% chemically bonded sulfur and, according to IR spectroscopy, including >C=C C=S groups in macromolecules are obtained. It is shown that the diffraction curves of poly(vinyl chloride) and of the reaction product containing 7.82% almost coincide but that the thermal stability of the latter is considerably higher than that of the initial polymer. The prospects of the practical use of the products of the reaction of poly(vinyl chloride) with elemental sulfur are demonstrated.