ABSTRACT
Crosslinking of many commercial thermoplastics is conducted with reactive peroxides, including dicumyl peroxide, benzoyl peroxide, and many others, all of which have different activation temperatures. At the crosslinking initiation temperature, the peroxide decomposes and forms free radicals that react with unsaturated end groups on the polymer chains, thus forming chemical crosslinks between chains. For thermoplastic addition, stability of the peroxides is increased for storage and handling by incorporation into master batches that may include waxes, clay, fatty acids, or resins.
