Patent ID: 8487018

Claim:
A heavy metal-free and anaerobically compostable vinyl halide polymer composition comprising a vinyl halide polymer or copolymer thereof, an organic based heat stabilizer essentially free of heavy metals in an effective amount to heat stabilize said polymer or copolymer, and a monomeric adduct of an organotitanate or an organozirconate as a prodegradant in relative amounts to render the polymer composition anaerobically compostable under ASTM D-5526-94 conditions, and wherein said adduct is defined by the formula ORGANOTITANATE OR ZIRCONATE —X-SALT FORMING GROUP-R—C═C-ACTIVATING GROUP, where X is a phosphate, nitrate or sulfonate group, R is a hydrocarbon radical or substituted hydrocarbon radical and activating group has a C═O, —CN, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, or an aromatic ring conjugated with the C═C to activate the carbon-carbon double bond, wherein the substituent of the substituted hydrocarbon radical is selected from the group consisting of an ether, thioether, ester, thioester, and amide.