Molecular-weight changes in the degradation of long-chain polymers
- 9 June 1954
- journal article
- Published by The Royal Society in Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series A. Mathematical and Physical Sciences
- Vol. 224 (1156) , 120-128
- https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.1954.0145
Abstract
The changes in molecular weight of a long-chain polymer (initially of arbitrary molecular-weight distribution) are studied when the main chain is subjected to random fracture, such as occurs when certain polymers are exposed to high-energy radiation. For several distributions studied, all trace of the initial distribution curve is lost after an average of some 3 to 8 main-chain fractures per molecule. For lower degrees of degradation the shape of the curve of weight average against degradation can provide information as to the initial weight average, z average, z + 1 average molecular weights. The initial number-average can be obtained by a method of extrapolation.Keywords
This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit:
- On the calculation of molecular weight distributions from kinetic schemesJournal of Polymer Science, 1953