1,3-Bis(tert-butylperoxyisopropyl)benzene

1,3-Bis(tert-butylperoxyisopropyl)benzene (BIPB), also known as bis(α-methylbenzyl) peroxide or by trade names such as Perkadox 14, is a difunctional peroxide crosslinker with a 10-hour half-life temperature of approximately 118°C. BIPB is valued for its efficiency in crosslinking polyolefins (PE, PP, EPDM) and silicone rubbers because each molecule carries two active peroxy groups, doubling the radical yield per mole. In the composites industry, BIPB is used as a crosslinking agent for thermoplastic composite matrices (particularly HDPE and LLDPE-based composites), glass-mat thermoplastic (GMT) sheet production, and rubber-matrix composites cured at 150–180°C. It is also used in cable compounding for XLPE wire and cable where high crosslink density and thermal stability are required. The solid form (white powder or granule) melts readily for dispersion into polymer melts on compounding lines. Scorch resistance is good at typical pre-processing temperatures. Typical dosage is 0.5–1.5% in PE applications and 1–3% in rubber systems.