The possibility of theoretical prediction of oxygen consumption kinetic curves in a thermooxidative degradation process for polymer melts under conditions that allow for both chemical constitution of polymer and physical structure of melt is shown, the last of which can be quantitatively identified within the framework of fractal analysis. Although obtained for the purposes of predicting kinetic curves, the equation does not contain empirical-fitting parameters. (C) 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.