The polymerization of crystalline trioxane. I. evidence for a cooperative mechanism

The conversion of trioxane crystals to crystalline high polymer is a cooperative process, analogous in certain aspects to diffusionless (‘martensitic’) transitions in metals and alloys. The reaction, which involves ionic states, is closely related to the electret character of crystalline trioxane. Evidence in support of these theses is presented here in a general survey, the authors' experimental efforts on the subject being reported in separate papers.