Field desorption mass spectrometry of poly(olefin sulfones)

Poly(olefin sulfones) are copolymers of an alkene and sulfur dioxide, which usually have alternating structures (I). Poly(olefin sulfones) are thermally unstable, decom- posing to sulfur dioxide and the alkene on heating. It has been reported that the rates of thermal decomposition of several poly(olefin sulfones) show an approximate correlation with the number of hydrogen atoms on the carbon atoms β to the sulfone group. Bowmer and O’Donnell have found that there is a better correlation when both the number of 0-hydrogens and the ceiling temperature of the polymer are considered. Bowden et al. have shown that poly(1-butene sulfone) undergoes a two-step degradation, with the initial degradation occurring in the temperature range 130–200 °C and the major degradation taking place at higher temperatures. Bowden et al. suggested that the initial degradation takes place at weak links within the chain. Using a specialized mass spectroscopic technique, we have studied the degradation of poly(l-butene sulfone) and poly(propene sulfone) with a view to elucidating the mechanism of their degradation.