Observations on the thermolytic decomposition of poly(tert‐butyl acrylate)

Abstract

The thermolytic decomposition of crystalline and amorphous poly(tert‐butyl acrylate) was investigated. At elevated temperatures thin films of polymer were found to evolve isobutylene quantitatively. The weight loss curve has been analyzed, and a mechanism has been suggested involving a slow random decomposition of tert‐butyl ester groups followed by a faster decomposition of ester groups due to neighboring carboxyl groups. The rate and activation energy for isobutylene evolution in both sections of the weightloss curve are not very different for tactic and atactic polymer modifications.