Abstract
Degradation of poly (vinylalcohol)(PVA) in 20% hydrochloric acid was studied. The degradation took place above 60°C. The rate of degradation increased with rise of the reaction temperature. Carbonyl and carboxyl groups formed by the degradation were determined chemically, while C=C and C=O bonds were detected from infrared absorption spectra. It seems that this degradation is a result of dehydration reaction of PVA by hydrochloric acid. PVA precipitated in methanol after a sufficient time of the reaction with hydrochloric acid was insoluble in boiling water. It seems that chemically crosslinked PVA is formed by intermolecular acetalization and esterification of degraded PVA molecules.
