Improvement to the Flynn-Wall method of determining apparent activation energies of the thermal degradation of polymers

Abstract

An improvement to the Flynn-Wall method of determining apparent activation energies of the thermal degradation of polymers is presented. The method involves the deconvolution of differential thermogravimetric (TG) curves and the reconstruction of the corresponding TG curves of the individual thermal degradation processes, to which the Flynn-Wall method is then applied separately. The method is illustrated using poly(diisobutyl itaconate) as an example.