Study of the dehydrochlorination of polyvinylidene chloride by alcoholic base, using ultra-violet absorption spectroscopy

Carbonization of polyvinylidene chloride by base involves abstraction of hydrogen chloride. The present work on the ultra-violet absorption spectra of partially carbonized polymer shows that this occurs predominantly by way of each molecule, in succession, losing its hydrogen chloride rapidly along the chain length. The introduction of extensive unsaturation into one molecule occurs faster than the introduction of low degrees of unsaturation into several molecules.