The thermal degradation of some polymeric di-alkyl esters of itaconic acid

Abstract

One group of polymers that may help relieve the dependence on crude oil is based on itaconic acid, the biotechnological production of which has become feasible. Itaconic acid and its derivatives can easily be incorporated into polymers and may serve as a substitute for petrochemically derived acrylate or methacrylate monomers. The applications of polymers based on itaconic di-esters depend largely on their thermal stability. The thermal stability of poly(di-itaconates) is dependent, not only on the general structure of the monomer repeating unit, but also on the structure of the ester substituent. Depolymerization, initiated by b-scission or random main chain scission, is the dominant thermolysis mechanism in most cases. The depolymerization of poly-(di-itaconates) may be accompanied by de-esterification, elimination, cross-linking, random main or side chain scission and carbonization. Comparison of the thermal degradation mechanism of polymeric di-esters of itaconic acid to that of corresponding poly(methacrylates) confirms the viability of substituting poly(methacrylates) by poly(di-itaconates).