Synthesis of Degradable Polyethylene and Poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) by Radical Co- and Terpolymerization of Ethylene, ε-Thionocaprolactone, and Vinyl Acetate

We report the synthesis of PE and poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (EVA) bearing a low content of in-chain thioester functions introduced via a co- or terpolymerization approach involving ethylene (E), vinyl acetate (VAc), and ε-thionocaprolactone (TCL). To achieve homogeneous incorporation of thioester functions along the chains resulting from the ring opening of TCL, a semibatch process with an adjusted feed of TCL was employed. Characterizations of the polymers were conducted by a combination of size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses. The chemically induced degradability of the obtained polymers was assessed by SEC.