Abstract
There are many causes of degradation of polymers. The chief ones among them are heat, oxidation, light, ionic radiation, hydrolysis and mechanical shear. The effect can be discoloration, loss of molecular weight, crosslinking, or cyclization. The loss of molecular weight can be so severe that the polymer is degraded to a mixture of monomers and oligomers. The other effects can be blackening or charring and loss of useful properties. On the other hand, mechanical shearing is often applied to some polymers like rubbers to deliberately reduce molecular weight for commercial processing. In the environment synthetic polymers generally degrade due to man made environmental pollutants in the atmosphere, like carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and oxidizing smogs rich in ozone.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
