Hydrogen peroxide metal-catalyzed cleavage

The hydroxyl radicals may be formed by homolytic cleavage of hydrogen peroxide (Equation 12.1) or by metal ion catalyzed decomposition (Equations 12.2 and 12.3)... 

Oxidative degradation in polyolefins with a minimum level of unsaturated contents (< 0.1 wt.%) at temperatures below 150 °C generally causes chain cleavage. Table 5.41. Autoxidation is promoted by the decomposition of hydrogen peroxides which can, as previously mentioned, be catalyzed by transition metals or residual acids. At low temperatures, the content of unsaturated and tertiary hydrogen atoms (chain branching, comonomer content or density) plays a subordinate role. 

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