Title: bulk degradation
Long Title: IUPAC Gold Book - bulk degradation
DOI: 10.1351/goldbook.13885
Status: current

Definition
Homogeneous degradation affecting the volume of a sample.

Notes
1) The molar mass of the whole sample decreases progressively as opposed to the constancy observed in the case of erosion and bioerosion.
2) This expression is often used when degradation is faster inside than at the surface. This is not appropriate. Nevertheless, it should be adopted specifically in opposition to erosion. In this case, the molar mass distribution becomes rapidly bimodal.
3) Generally, degradation is faster inside because of autocatalysis by entrapped degradation byproducts or by the presence of a chain-cleaving reagent entrapped within the matrix.

Related Terms
- degradation: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/13890
- erosion: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/13906

Source
- PAC, 2012, 84, 377. 'Terminology for biorelated polymers and applications (IUPAC Recommendations 2012)' on page 385 (https://doi.org/10.1351/PAC-REC-10-12-04)

Other Outputs
- html: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/13885/html
- json: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/13885/json
- xml: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/13885/xml

Citation: Citation: 'bulk degradation' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. 10.1351/goldbook.13885
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Accessed: 2026-06-04T17:00:47+00:00