Radical crosslinking of polyethylene with DCP involves decomposition of DCP above 160 C yielding two radicals that either abstract a hydrogen from a polyethylene chain (route A), producing cumyl alcohol (2-phenyl-2-propanol) as a byproduct (that can further decay into -methyl styrene and water), or decay into acetophenone and a methyl radical (route B), which then abstracts a hydrogen from a polyethylene chain and forms methane.
