Degradation Kinetics and Mechanisms of Polymers Using Thermal Spectrometric Techniques

Techniques utilizing mass spectrometry, thermogravimetry, and gas chromatography in combination to study polymer degradation kinetics and mechanisms are described. The ability to observe volatile species generated under controlled thermal and environmental conditions and the simultaneous accumulation of weight loss data enables acquisition of both kinetic and mechanistic parameters in single run experiments. Polymer degradation mechanisms are best understood when initial oxidative sites can be established. Consequently, data points obtained with these techniques in conjunction with bulk phase analyses provide powerful tools for determining the primary reactions occurring during polymer oxidations.