Thermal and Oxidative Degradation Behavior of Polymers and Nanocomposites

This chapter provides a recent review of literature and advancements in polymer degradation modes and degradation mechanisms under thermal, chemical, biological, and radiation effects. It provides a fundamental overview of widely accepted mechanisms and guidelines on applying these to examples of current high-end polymers, either individually or in combination. This review chapter also summarizes the effect of different degradation mechanisms on the molecular level for different polymers and plaussible parameters affecting the degradation process. A general framework for polymer degradation can be considered and explained based on the fact that polymer formation and breakdown follow similar steps in the progression: initiation, propagation and termination. Generally, the degradation process is affected by not only molecular weight and chemical structure or types of bond, but also the nature, type, and mechanism of the degradation process.