Thermal degradation of poly(olefin sulphone)s. Part I—The effect of olefin structure on the yields of volatile products

Abstract

The rates and mechanisms of the thermal degradation of nine alternating poly(olefin sulphone)s with different olefin structures have been investigated at 150°C and 200°C by a novel technique which is particularly suitable for studying the initial steps of the degradation. Rapid degradation was initiated at the CS bond with depolymerisation to sulphur dioxide and olefin. The rate of thermal degradation showed a moderate correlation with the ceiling temperature for monomer-polymer equilibrium and also with the number of β-hydrogen atoms, but neither parameter provided an adequate measure of the sensitivity of all the poly(olefin sulphone)s to thermal degradation. Substantial isomerisation was observed in the formation of olefin from poly(3-methyl-1-butene sulphone).