CHAIN-BREAKING STABILIZERS IN POLYMERS - THE CURRENT STATUS

The present knowledge of the trapping abilities of C-and O-centered fr ee radicals by phenols, aromatic, nonhindered and hindered heterocycli c amines is outlined. In spite of their sacrificial character in polym er stabilization, additives which scavenge free radicals and break oxi dation chains are not likely to be displaced in the near future by any other kind of stabilizers. The similarity between oxidative processes in vitro and in vivo and between activities of synthetic stabilizers and those of natural origin or their replicas enables a more efficient exploitation of mechanistic knowledge in protection of commercial pol ymers, human nutrients and biological systems.