2. Special cases of destructive methods

Destructive methods are based on the fragmentation of macromolecules into smaller units accessible to conventional means of analysis. Although indirect, insofar as it is necessary to make assumptions about the fragmentation mechanism in order to trace the initial structure, these methods are proving irreplaceable in many cases where it is impossible to produce suitable samples for a non-destructive method.

Destructive methods can be used to study fluoropolymers, thermosets and, in general, all insoluble and infusible polymers. Destructive methods can also be applied to polymers accessible to non-destructive methods, providing additional information. It should also be noted that the field of application of these methods (IR, NMR, etc.) is expanding year on year, thanks to advances in instrumentation and the invention of new sampling techniques.

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