The photodegradation of poly(vinyl chloride)—V The effect of wavelength of irradiation on the dehydrochlorination reaction

For a purified sample of poly(vinyl chloride), it is found that radiation of wavelength less than 300 nm causes dehydrochlorination. It appears that polychromatic radiation yields a constant ratio of concentrations of polyenes, even from the very early stages of reaction. It is proposed that energy transfer is an important step in the photodecomposition of poly(vinyl chloride).