Explanation
It refers to the process of random fracture or depolymerization of molecular chain of polymer under the action of external factors such as heat, light, mechanical force, chemical reagent, microorganism, etc., leading to the decrease of degree of polymerization or molecular weight. The performance of polymer is often closely related to the relative molecular weight, so degradation will lead to the decline of the performance of polymer. The process of polymer performance deterioration due to degradation is also called aging.
Classification
Organic polymer materials -> Polymer Science -> Polymer Chemistry