Patent ID: 6897254

Claim:
A polymer composition normally susceptible to heat-induced decomposition comprising: a halogen-containing polymer, a latent mercaptan having the structure: wherein a is 0 or 1, m and n are 0 or 1; y=1 to 4; when y=1, z is 1 to 4; and when y is more than 1, z is 1; R 1 is an alkyl, alkylenyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylenyl, aryl, alkaryl, aralkyl, aralkylenyl, hydroxyalkyl, dihydroxyalkyl, hydroxy(polyalkoxy)alkyl, alkoxyalkyl, hydroxyalkoxyalkyl, alkoxy(hydroxyalkyl), alkoxy(acyloxyalkyl), alkoxy(polyalkoxy)alkyl, alkoxy(polyalkoxy)carbonylalkyl, carboxyalkyl, acyloxyalkyl, acyloxy(hydroxyalkyl), acyloxyalkoxyalkyl, acyloxy(polyalkoxy)alkyl, benzoyloxy(polyalkoxy)alkyl, alkylenebis-(acyloxyalkyl), alkoxycarbonylalkyl, alkoxycarbonylalkylenyl, hydroxyalkoxycarbonylalkyl, hydroxy(polyalkoxy)carbonylalkyl, mercaptoalkyl, mercaptoalkylenyl, mercaptoalkoxycarbonylalkyl, mercaptoalkoxycarbonylalkylenyl, alkoxycarbonyl(amido)alkyl, alkylcarbonyloxy(polyalkoxy)carbonylalkyl, tetrahydopyranyloxy(polyalkoxy)carbonylalkyl, tetrahydropyranyloxyalkyl, hydroxyaryl, mercaptoaryl or carboxyaryl radical having from 1 to 22 carbon atoms; R 2 ,R 3 ,R 4 ,R 5 ,R 6 , and R 7 are independently hydrogen, a hydroxyl, mercapto, acyl, alkyl, alkylenyl, aryl, haloaryl, alkaryl, aralkyl, hydroxyalkyl, mercaptoalkyl, hydroxyaryl, alkoxyaryl, alkoxyhydroxyaryl, mercaptoaryl groups having from 1 to 22 carbon atoms; X is aryl, haloaryl, alkaryl, aralkaryl, hydroxyaryl, dihydroxyaryl, arylcycloalkyl, or a heteroatom, with the option that when a is 1 and m is 1, R 6 and R 7 form a heterocyclic moiety in conjunction with X as nitrogen, and with the further option that when a=1 and m=0, one of R 1 , R 3 , and R 5 joins with R 7 and X to form a heterocyclic moiety with X as a heteroatom selected from the group consisting of oxygen and sulfur; with the proviso that z is 1 or 2 when X is aralkaryl, R 6 and R 7 are hydroxyl, a is 1 and m is 1, and with the further proviso that when R 6 hydroxyl or mercapto, z is 1; an alien free mercaptan; and a zinc salt.