DEGRADATION AND STABILIZATION OF POLY(VINYL CHLORIDE)

Abstract Poly(viny1 chloride) (PVC) has many desirable characteristics that have allowed it to achieve its present status as one of the most important commercial polymers. In spite of its enormous technical and economic importance, PVC still possesses many problems. Its rather low stability to the influence of heat and light results in discoloration, hydrogen chloride loss, and serious corrosion phenomena [1], accompanied by changes in the mechanical properties of the article together with a decrease or an increase in molecular weight as a result of chain sassion or crosslinking of the polymer molecules, respectively [2].