Application of chemiluminescence to polymer degradation studies. Thermal oxidation of polyamide 6

Chemiluminescence (CL) technique was used to study the thermal oxidation of polyamide 6 samples with different ratio of terminal basic and acid groups, which perform a distinct effect on kinetics of the isothermal CL – time runs at 120–140°C. The isothermal experiments are complemented by nonisothermal ramp experiments where the CL intensity is monitored against temperature at a programmed rate of temperature increase. The relation of parameters such as initial CL intensity, integrated value of CL intensity for both isothermal and nonisothermal experiments and rate constants corresponding to CL – time curves was discussed within the results of other oxidation stability tests as absroption of oxygen, thermogravimetry, etc.