Patent ID: 6949594

Claim:
A process for the molecular weight increase/crosslinking of non-halogen-containing thermoplastic polymers, in which process a composition comprising a) a non-halogen-containing thermoplastic polymer; b) a functional compound having at least two unsaturated carbon bonds which is a polyalkenyl compound, a polymaleimide, an ester of a polyhydric alcohol with an α,β-unsaturated C 3 -C 5 carboxylic acid, or an allyl ester of a polycarboxylic acid; and c) an alkoxyamine having a structural unit which forms free radicals at the melting temperature/processing temperature of the polymer, is mixed and heated above the melting point of the polymer in the case of crystalline polymers or the softening point in the case of amorphous polymers, wherein X is selected from the group consisting of —C(═O)—C 1 -C 38 alkyl, —C(═O)—C 1 -C 19 alkenyl, —C(═O)—C 6 -C 10 aryl, —C(═O)—O—C 1 -C 6 alkyl, —C(═O)—O—C 6 -C 10 aryl, —C(═O)—NH—C 1 -C 6 alkyl, —C(═O)—NH—C 6 -C 10 aryl, —C(═O)—N(C 1 -C 6 alkyl) 2 , —P═O(—C 1 -C 19 alkyl) 2 , —P═O(—C 6 -C 10 aryl) 2 , —P(—O—C 1 -C 6 alkyl) 2 , —P═O(—O—C 6 -C 10 aryl) 2 , —P═O(—O—C 1 -C 6 alkyl) 2 , —P(—O—C 6 -C 10 aryl) 2 , C 1 -C 18 alkyl, C 3 -C 18 alkenyl, C 3 -C 18 alkynyl, phenyl, phenyl(C 7 -C 11 )alkyl, phenyl or phenyl(C 7 -C 11 )alkyl substituted by C 1 -C 12 alkyl, C 1 -C 12 alkoxy, OH, amino, C 1 -C 12 alkylamino, C 1 -C 12 dialkylamino, NO 2 or by halogen, C 3 -C 7 cycloalkyl, and a group wherein R 20 , R 21 and R 22 are hydrogen, C 1 -C 12 alkyl, C 2 -C 12 alkenyl, phenyl or C 3 -C 7 cycloalkyl.