Pyrolysis of Anionic and Thermally Prepared Polystyrenes.

The changes in molecular weights, their distributions, and initial rates have been measured, for a series of polystyrenes prepared by thermal and anionic procedures. The information obtained and previous results can be explained to a very large extent by a kinetic chain decomposition comprised of competing end and random initiation, depropagation, intra- and intermolecular transfer and termination by combination.