Propylene/1-butene copolymer powders were produced through bulk copolymerization of propylene with 1-butene in a 12 m3 polymerization reactor. High melt strength polypropylene (HMSPP) was synthesized by in situ heat induction melt reaction, in which pure propylene/1-butene copolymer powders without any additives were used as a basic resin and trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA) as a crosslinking agent. The structure and properties of the resultant HMSPP were characterized by means of various measurements. The content of TMPTA strongly influenced the melt strength and melt flow rate (MFR) of HMSPP. With increasing the content of TMPTA, the melt strength of HMSPP increased, and the MFR reduced. In addition, owing to the existence of crosslinking structure, thermal stability and tensile strength of HMSPP were improved compared with pristine propylene/1-butene copolymer. (C) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012