A General Model for Prediction of Molecular Weight Distributions of Degraded Polymers. Development and Comparison with Ultrasonic Degradation Experiments

A general model has been developed for the process of polymer chain breakage. The molecular weight distributions (MWDs) of the degraded polymer, after a specified number of chain ruptures, can be calculated from the model, given the MWD of the initial material. The calculations can easily be handled numerically on a digital computer. The model is applicable to any process in which polymer chains break, e.g., ultrasonation and high shear mechanical action. The course of degradation is described in terms of the probability that a molecule of a given length will break and the probability that a molecule of a particular length will result from this rupture. Any form of both these probability distributions and the initial MWD can be used in the model.