The thermal degradation kinetics of poly(chlorethylmethacrylates)

Abstract

The thermal degradation kinetics of poly(2-mono-, 2,2-di- and 2,2,2-trichlorethyl methacrylate) and of the non-chlorinated poly(ethyl methacrylate) were studied by TG in the absence and presence of oxygen. The overall thermal degradation energy, determined by the Flynn-Wall method, increases with increasing chlorine content of the polymer when the degradation is performed in the absence of oxygen, while the trend is reversed in the presence of oxygen. Competition between the two major non-oxidative thermolysis reactions, depolymerization and crosslinking, could be monitored by DTG. Generally, the thermal stability of the investigated polymers is reduced by oxygen.