Removing a stimuli responsive polymer (SRP) from a substrate includes controlled degradation. In certain embodiments of the methods described herein, removing SRPs includes exposure to two reactants that react to form an acid or base that can trigger the degradation of the SRP. The exposure occurs sequentially to provide more precise top down control. In some embodiments, the methods involve diffusing a compound, or a reactant that reacts to form a compound, only to a top portion of the SRP. The top portion is then degraded and removed, leaving the remaining SRP intact. The exposure and removal cycles are repeated.

Removing stimulus responsive polymers (SRPs) includes exposure to high energy metastable species, generated in a noble gas plasma, at an elevated temperature. The metastable species have sufficient energies and lifetimes to scission bonds on the polymer or other residues. At temperatures greater than the ceiling temperature of the SRP, there is a strong thermodynamic driving force to revert to volatile monomers once bond scissioning has occurred. The metastable species are not chemically reactive and do not appreciably affect the underlying surface. The high energy metastable species are effective at removing residues that remain after exposure to other stimuli such as heat.

A polyacetal resin composition which is suppressed low in formaldehyde generation, while having high stiffness and high toughness. The resin is produced by a method including blending from 0.1 part by weight to 2 parts by weight (inclusive) of a polyacetal copolymer having a branched or crosslinked structure, which is a copolymer of a trioxane, a compound having from 3 to 4 (inclusive) cyclic ether units in each molecule and a compound having one cyclic ether unit in each molecule, per 100 parts by weight of a linear polyacetal copolymer which contains an oxymethylene unit as a main constituent, while containing, as a comonomer unit, an oxyalkylene unit at a ratio of from 0.4% by mole to 0.9% by mole (inclusive) relative to the constituents of the linear polyacetal copolymer, the linear polyacetal copolymer being obtained by copolymerization wherein a heteropolyacid or the like is used as a polymerization catalyst.

Potentially degradable isohexide based compounds and their polymers, derived from renewable resources, are described. Degradable isohexide-based monomers and polymers obtained from renewable resources are also described. Finally, processes for synthesizing such degradable polymers via copolymerization of the isohexide-based monomers and long chain diols are disclosed.

Transient polymers and compositions comprising such polymers are described. The polymers are copolymers of phthalaldehyde and one or more additional aldehydes and can degrade/decompose upon exposure to a desired stimulus, like light, heat, sound, or chemical trigger. Films comprising the copolymers and devices comprising surfaces coated with the film are also described.

Transient polymers and compositions comprising such polymers are described. The polymers are copolymers of phthalaldehyde and one or more additional aldehydes and can degrade/decompose upon exposure to a desired stimulus, like light, heat, sound, or chemical trigger. Films comprising the copolymers and devices comprising surfaces coated with the film are also described.

An oxymethylene-copolymer manufacturing method includes: polymerizing a polymerization raw material containing trioxane and a comonomer in the presence of an acid catalyst in a quantity that is 1.010.sup.8 moles to 5.010.sup.6 moles with respect to 1 mole of trioxane; adding a hydroxylamine compound represented by general formula (1) (in the formula, R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are, independently of each other, a hydrogen atom or an organic group having 1-20 carbon atoms) to a reaction product obtained during the polymerizing of the polymerization raw material at 50-5000 times the quantity of the acid catalyst, in terms of the molar quantity, and mixing the hydroxylamine compound with the reaction product; and for subjecting the mixture of the reaction product and the hydroxylamine compound, which is obtained during the adding of the hydroxylamine compound, to an additional melt-kneading.

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Self-immolative polymers and compositions comprising such polymers are described. The polymers are copolymers of phthalaldehyde and one or more additional aldehydes and can degrade/decompose upon exposure to a desired stimulus, like light, heat, sound, or chemical trigger. The copolymers can be linear or cyclic, and can be crosslinked or uncrosslinked. Polymer compositions, including multilayered and multiregioned compositions, containing the copolymers are disclosed. These compositions can contain agents such as crosslinking agents, crosslinking catalysts, photocatalysts, thermocatalyst, sensitizers, chemical amplifiers, freezing point depressing agent, photo-response delaying agents, and the like. Methods of making and using the copolymers are also described.

Self-immolative polymers and compositions comprising such polymers are described. The polymers are copolymers of phthalaldehyde and one or more additional aldehydes and can degrade/decompose upon exposure to a desired stimulus, like light, heat, sound, or chemical trigger. The copolymers can be linear or cyclic, and can be crosslinked or uncrosslinked. Polymer compositions, including multilayered and multiregioned compositions, containing the copolymers are disclosed. These compositions can contain agents such as crosslinking agents, crosslinking catalysts, photocatalysts, thermocatalyst, sensitizers, chemical amplifiers, freezing point depressing agent, photo-response delaying agents, and the like. Methods of making and using the copolymers are also described.

An oxymethylene-copolymer manufacturing method includes: polymerizing a polymerization raw material containing trioxane and a comonomer in the presence of an acid catalyst in a quantity that is 1.0?10.sup.?8 moles to 5.0?10.sup.?6 moles with respect to 1 mole of trioxane; adding a hydroxylamine compound represented by general formula (1) (in the formula, R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are, independently of each other, a hydrogen atom or an organic group having 1-20 carbon atoms) to a reaction product obtained during the polymerizing of the polymerization raw material at 50-5000 times the quantity of the acid catalyst, in terms of the molar quantity, and mixing the hydroxylamine compound with the reaction product; and subjecting the mixture of the reaction product and the hydroxylamine compound, which is obtained during the adding of the hydroxylamine compound, to an additional melt-kneading. ##STR00001##