| abstract |
The invention provides a polymer adapted for use in melt processes, the polymer having a thermally reversible bond which is adapted to evanesce at an elevated temperature and revert to a thermally reversible bond upon cooling to ambient temperature so that the polymer is adapted, upon being heated to the elevated temperature, to dissociate into melt processable polymeric fragments and, upon being cooled to ambient temperature, to re-associate. The thermally reversible bond is a bond that is capable of evanescing at a temperature which is lower than the degradation temperature of the polymer fragments. The thermally reversible bond may be, for example, a thermally reversible aromatic urethane bond. |