Degradation and stabilization of polyacetal copolymers

Abstract

Abstract Acetal copolymers prepared from trioxane and ethylene oxide consist of polyoxymethylene segments with oxyethylene units distributed in the chain. These oxyethylene units profoundly affect the thermal and chemical behavior of the polymer. The presence of the oxyethylene units renders the copolymer amenable to thermal or base hydrolytic treatment which results in a final product with stable endgroups. The copolymers so obtained are significantly more stable, thermally and chemically, than acetylated polyoxymethylene homopolymer.