Effect of Polymerization Conditions on the Thermooxidation of Nylon 6

The thermally initiated oxidation of cationic, anionic, and hydrolytic polymers of caprolactam (6-hexanelactam) was followed by determination of the oxygen uptake, molecular weight, and concentration of amino and carboxylic groups. In order to establish the effect of catalyst residues, unextracted as well as extracted anionic and cationic polymers were investigated. A series of polymers containing predominantly carboxylic or primary amino groups as well as polymers of different molecular weight having equal concentrations of carboxylic and amino groups were used to determine the specific effects of these groups on the thermal oxidation of hydrolytic polymers.