The thermal stability of poly[(ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol)-g-methyl met
hacrylate] (EVAL-g-PMMA) was investigated by thermogravimetric analysi
s. The graft copolymers were prepared by free-radical polymerization o
f MMA in the presence of mercapto-modified ethylene-vinyl alcohol copo
lymers (EVALSH) as transfer agent. The thermal stability of PMMA segme
nts in the graft copolymers is usually higher than that of the corresp
onding PMMA homopolymers and is related to the amount of free SH group
s in the EVALSH backbone after the graft copolymerization. (C) 1997 El
sevier Science Limited.