Radiochemical determination of low unsaturations in polyisobutene. Stoichiometry of the reaction between chlorine and branched double bonds

Abstract In a previous paper, the radiochemical determination of low unsaturation in polyisobutene was effected by reacting radiochlorine with the double bonds. The reaction is one of substitution rather than addition, and the derivation of true unsaturation values required an assumption to be made regarding the number of chlorine atoms (one or two) incorporated per double bond. In this paper the assumption is tested by examining the stoichiometry of the chlorination of suitable model compounds of known or measurable unsaturation under the experimental conditions used previously. It is found that reaction leads to a monochloro product rather than the dichloro product previously assumed. Conclusions regarding the chain termination process in isobutene polymerization are re‐examined in the light of this result.