Chain scission

Chain scission is a term used in polymer chemistry describing the degradation of a polymer main chain.[1] It is often caused by thermal stress (heat) or ionizing radiation (e.g. light, UV radiation or γ radiation), often involving oxygen. During chain cleavage, the polymer chain is broken at a random point in the backbone to form two - mostly still highly molecular - fragments.[2]

Depolymerization, on the other hand, is the elimination of low molecular weight substances (monomers, dimers and suchlike) from a polymer.[3]

References

  1. ↑ IUPAC, Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book") (1997). Online corrected version:  (2006–) "chain scission".
  2. ↑ Sebastian Kotzenburg, Michael Maskus, Oskar Nuyken: Polymere – Synthese, Eigenschaften und Anwendungen, Springer Spektrum, 2014, S. 440–441, ISBN 978-3-642-34772-6.
  3. ↑ Otto-Albrecht Neumüller (Herausgeber): Römpps Chemie Lexikon, Frank’sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart, 1983, 8. Auflage, S. 891, ISBN 3-440-04513-7.
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