Depolymerizable polymers, when triggered, can unzip into the corresponding (co)monomers. Poly (olefin-sulfones) have low ceiling temperatures, typically below 60 C, and can depolymerize in the presence of a base and exposure to gamma rays. In this work we showed that by heating the polymer above the ceiling temperature and activating the polymer chains by hydrogen abstraction using radical chemistry, we triggered the depolymerization into the initial components leaving very small residual material behind. Poly(1-hexene-sulfone) (PHS) and Poly(1-butene-sulfone)(PBS) were synthesized achieving copolymers with molecular weights &gt;500,000. Using two heating method: one holding at 100 C for 1 hr the other 130 C for 5 mins, a maximum mass loss of 80% was achieved with a mixture of 10% TBEHP+5% BPO wt%. This is a step towards a tough material that can be produced on a large scale and triggered to disappear by simple heating.

Radical depolymerization of poly(olefin-sulfones)

254th National Meeting (2017)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.