Degradation modelling polymer molecular weight

Thermogravimetric analysis and other studies made on low-molecular weight model compounds such as 1,3, 5,-trichlorohexane [7,8] corresponding to the idealized head-to-tail structure of PVC show these structures to be considerably more stable than the polymer. This abnormal instability of the polymer is attributed to structural irregularities or defects in the polymer chain, which serve as initiation sites for degradation. 

Very low molecular weight polypropylenes are now known to be useful industrial additives (8). Such polymers can be made by using very high concentrations of peroxide in the degradation. Extension of the model to high initiator concentrations is therefore of practical interest, o The model was found to be sensitive to step size in reaction time used. 

Keywords Recycling Recycling as resources Polyolefins Quality Degree of degradation Polymer composition Low molecular weight compounds NIR DSC MAE Chromatography Multivariate modelling... 

Inaba, A., Kashiwagi, T., and Brown, J. E. Effects of initial molecular weight on thermal degradation of polyfmethyl methacrylate) Part 1—Model 1. Polymer Degradation and Stability 1988 21 1. 

---