Thermal degradation of poly(2,6‐dimethyl‐1,4‐phenylene oxide). I. The mechanism of degradation

An analysis of products obtained from thermal degradation of poly(2,6‐dimethyl‐1,4‐phenylene oxide) is presented. The techniques used for identification of monomeric and dimeric degradation products were gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. On the basis of this analysis a mechanism of thermal breakdown is established. It consists of the Fries‐type rearrangement of the polymer chain in the first degradation step and statistical scission of benzyl bonds. The proposed degradation scheme accounts for the retention of ether linkage in the afterdegradation residue.