Chain scission

IUPAC definition

chain scission: A chemical reaction resulting in the breaking of skeletal bond.[1]

Chain scission is a term used in polymer chemistry describing the degradation of a polymer main chain.[2] It is often caused by thermal stress (heat) or ionizing radiation (e.g. light, UV radiation or gamma radiation), often involving oxygen. During chain cleavage, the polymer chain is broken at a random point in the backbone to form two - mostly still highly molecular - fragments.[3]

Depolymerization, on the other hand, is the elimination of low molecular weight substances (monomers, dimers and suchlike) from a polymer.[4]

References

1. "chain scission". Gold Book. IUPAC. doi:10.1351/goldbook.C00961. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
2. IUPAC, Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book") (1997). Online corrected version: (2006–) "chain scission". doi:10.1351/goldbook.C00961
3. Sebastian Kotzenburg, Michael Maskus, Oskar Nuyken: Polymere – Synthese, Eigenschaften und Anwendungen, Springer Spektrum, 2014, S. 440–441, ISBN 978-3-642-34772-6.
4. Otto-Albrecht Neumüller (Herausgeber): Römpps Chemie Lexikon, Frank’sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart, 1983, 8. Auflage, S. 891, ISBN 3-440-04513-7.