Prof. William Starnes, College of William and Mary

Why a Politically Incorrect Polymer is Degrading: The Thermolysis Mechanism of PVC

School Colloquia

Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) continues to be one of the world’s most widely used thermoplastics, owing in part to the many studies which have concluded that it is environmentally benign. However, its inherent thermal instability is greater than that of the other important synthetic polymers and has stimulated an enormous amount of basic research for more than sixty years. This talk will discuss the current state of our knowledge about the detailed chemical mechanism for the nonoxidative thermal dehydrochlorination of PVC. Topics to be considered will include the thermally labile structural defects in the polymer; the potential involvement of ionic, concerted quasi-ionic, and free-radical degradation pathways; the chemistry of autoacceleration; and the possible intermediacy of cation monoradicals, excited cation diradicals, and kinetically free chlorine atoms.

For more information contact Prof. Charles Liotta (404-894-8222).