Patent ID: 7109261

Claim:
A polymeric composition comprising: (a) a polymer component comprising a polymer normally susceptible to heat-induced deterioration, (b) degradation products of a blocked mercaptan present during processing of said polymeric composition at an elevated temperature, wherein said degradation products comprise a free mercaptan, and wherein said blocked mercaptan has 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 alkoxycarbonylalkyl, alkoxycarbonylalkylenyl, hydroxyalkoxycarbonylalkyl, hydroxy(polyalkoxy)carbonylalkyl, alkoxy(polyalkoxy)carbonylalkyl, mercaptoalkoxycarbonylalkyl, mercaptoalkoxycarbonylalkylenyl, or alkylcarbonyloxy(polyalkoxy)carbonylalkyl 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, mercaptoalkylenyl, mercaptoalkoxycarbonylalkylenyl, hydroxyaryl, arylcarbonyl, mercaptoaryl, carboxyalkyl, or carboxyaryl radical having from 1 to 22 carbon atoms; and X is aryl, haloaryl, alkaryl, hydroxyaryl, dihydroxyaryl, aralkyl, alkoxyaryl, arylcycloalkyl, or a heteroatom; with the option that, when a is 1 and m is 0, one of the R 3 and R 5 radicals 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 further option that, when m is 1, R 6 and R 7 form a heterocyclic moiety in conjunction with X as a nitrogen atom; with the proviso that, when R 6 is not a hydroxyl or mercapto, z is 1; (c) a mono-organotin compound or mixture of mono-organotin compounds; and (d) optionally, a diorganotin compound or mixture of diorganotin compounds.