| Abstract: | The thermal degradation of polyglycollide [poly(methylene carboxylate)] has been studied over the temperature range 250–400°C by using the combined kinetic and analytical technique previously described. The results obtained from thermogravimetry and product analysis were in many ways similar to those from previous work involving higher poly-α-esters. Thus the reaction was predominantly first-order and the major degradation product was glycollide monomer. This confirms the observations of Carothers and is best interpreted in terms of an intramolecular ester interchange process. Kinetic studies have shown that the first-order rate constant k is related to temperature T by the expression:  The results from gas evolution analysis showed consistent and marked deviation from first-order behavior. This is interpreted in terms of the greater sensitivity of this technique to traces of acidic degradation products. Solution viscometry was used to demonstrate the effect of degradation conditions on molecular weight change in both thermogravimetric and gas evolution techniques. |
