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SYNOPSISThis is the first in a series of papers in which structural changes during thermal degradation of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) and ethylene-butyl acrylate (EBA) copolymers are compared. EVA, containing 11.4 mol% vinyl acetate (VA) and EBA, containing 5.4 mol% butyl acrylate (BA), were pyrolyzed at 28OoC in nitrogen for 30 min. In another series of pyrolysis, EVA containing 1.2,2.2, and 11.4 mol% VA were treated at 15O-19O0C for 3 h. The volatile decomposition products were collected in cooled traps respectively gas bags and then analysed with GC-MS and ion-chromatography. EVA is rather labile. The main volatile decomposition product is acetic acid. A linear decomposition rate was found already at the lowest investigated pyrolysis temperature, 150°C. After 30 min at 280°C every 15th of the acetate side groups had been eliminated. EBA is much more stable to pyrolysis. Thirty minutes at 280°C resulted in a decomposition of one out of 1500 BA groups. Butene is the main volatile decomposition product. Ester pyrolysis is supposed to account for the degradation of both types of polymers. The big difference in reactivity is presumably due to conformational differences. The ester pyrolysis mechanism will result in random unsaturations in EVA and carboxylic groups in EBA. To a minor extent acetaldehyde is formed when EVA is degraded. According to the mechanisms suggested, carbonyl groups remain in the main chain. Contrary to what is reported for poly(buty1 acrylate), no alcohol was formed when pyrolysing EBA. This indicates that adjacent acrylate groups are needed for alcohol formation. For both types of polymer, scissions of the main chain results in hydrocarbon fragments mainly. In addition, acrylate containing fragments are observed when EBA is degraded. EVA, however, does not give any acetate-containing fragments.

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SYNOPSISThis is the second in a series of papers in which the thermal degradation of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) and ethylene-butyl acrylate ( E B A ) copolymers are compared. The EBA samples contain 0.8, 1.6, and 5.4 mol % butyl acrylate ( B A ) , respectively, and the EVA samples 1.2 and 6.7 mol % vinyl acetate ( V A ) . The samples were heated in nitrogen in a tubular oven at 285, 333, 350, 370 and 390°C for 6-120 min. The samples were analyzed with IR, NMR, gravimetry, and titration of carboxylic groups. The EVA samples were rapidly degraded by deacetylation, which was complete after about 30 min a t 333°C. A linear relation between the loss of acetate groups and the formation of trans double bonds was found. A small amount of keto groups and traces of lactones were also observed. The data confirm the previously proposed mechanisms for deacetylation and the formation of acetaldehyde. A mechanism for lactone formation is suggested. The deacetylation rate is increasing with the VA content, presumably because of an increased amount of block sequences and a n enhanced acid catalytic effect. The acrylate sidegroups are much more stable than the acetate groups, and are similar in stability to the main hydrocarbon chain. The BA decomposition results in carboxylic and anhydride groups. Decarboxylation also occur and increases with the thermal treatment. In LDPE and EBA the increase in unsaturation is small and mainly due to vinyl end groups formed via P-cleavage or disproportionation. In EVA the formation of vinyl end groups is suppressed.

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