The grafting copolymerization of butyl acrylate (BA) onto poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) was conducted through the method of activators regenerated by electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerization (ARGET ATRP)

using PVC with higher labile chlorine content (U-PVC) and vinyl chloride/allyl 2-bromo-2-methylpropionate random copolymer (PVC-co-ABrMP) as an initiator. The polymerization conversion of BA was obviously increased as CuCl2 concentration (based on number of vinyl chloride unit) increased when CuCl2 concentration was lower than 0.1%. The increase of BA polymerization rate was not obvious when Sn(EH)2/CuCl2 molar ratio exceeded 50. The greater BA polymerization rate and PBA grafting degree were achieved when PVC-co-ABrMP was used as the initiator with the same catalyst. The side PBA chains were cleaved from the ester group of PVC-co-ABrMP and the molecular weight distribution index of PBA was 1.29

verifying the “living” nature of this graft copolymerization. The grafted PBA showed good internal plasticization effect on PVC

and the glass temperature of PVC-g-BA copolymer with 32.75%(mol) PBA was reduced to 8.34℃.