Journal of the Serbian Chemical Society 2000 Volume 65, Issue 12, Pages: 867-875
https://doi.org/10.2298/JSC0012867N
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The thermal degradation of poly(iso-butyl methacrylate) and poly(sec-butyl methacrylate)
Novaković Katarina (Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, Belgrade)
Katsikas Lynne (Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, Belgrade)
Popović Ivanka G. 
(Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, Belgrade)
The non-oxidative thermal degradation of poly(iso-butyl methacrylate) and
poly(sec-butyl methacrylate) was investigated by studying changes in the
polymer residue. Due to the different number of β-hydrogens in their ester
substituents, these two polymeric isomers behave differently when subjected
to elevated temperatures. Poly(iso-butyl methacrylate) degrades
quantitatively by depolymerisation with zip lengths of the same order of
magnitude as those of poly(methyl methacrylate). Poly(sec-butyl
methacrylate) degrades by a combined degradation mechanism of
depolymerisation and de-esterification. De-esterification becomes a
significant thermolysis route at temperatures higher than 240°C.
Keywords: poly(butyl methacrylate), isomers, thermal degradation, mechanism, depolymerisation, de-esterification