The oxidative and photo-oxidative degradations of poly@-hydroxystyrene) were investigated. The polymer undergoes slow thermal oxidation at 100 "C and photo-oxiation on irradiation with UV (wavelengths > 290 nm). The principal manifestations of degradation are C+ absorption, formation of ketonic and quinoid species, colouration (which has been attributed to quinoid compounds) and embrittlement, associated with rapid cross-linking. Since the pure polymer is stable at 100 "C and does not absorb in the long-wave UV region, it is proposed that the degradation is initiated by thermal and photo-decompositions of impurities. The high transfer ability of the hydroxylic proton would appear to be the origin of the quinoid compounds, the resulting phenoxyl radicals also participating in cross-linking reactions.
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