Thermal behaviour of binary and ternary copolymers containing acrylonitrile

Three types of acrylonitrile copolymers (acrylonitrile-styrene-butadiene copolymer (ABS¹), acrylonitrile-styrene random copolymer (SAN²) and acrylonitrile-butadiene random copolymer (BAN³) were studied by thermogravimetry (TG/DTG⁴) and by pyrolysis in a semi-batch process at 450 °C in order to find structure–thermal behaviour relationships. The overlapped thermo-oxidative degradation processes were separated and the corresponding kinetic parameters were calculated. The TG/DTG studies have evidenced that the styrene-acrylonitrile interactions stabilize the nitrile groups reacting by chain scission rather than cyclization and destabilize the styrene units. Also, the cyclization of the acrylonitrile units in ABS is favoured by interactions with the styrene and butadiene units. The pyrolysis behaviour evidenced that the styrene-acrylonitrile interactions in SAN and ABS lead to the formation of 4-phenylbutyronitrile as the most important decomposition compound. ABS shows similar composition of the degradation oil with SAN copolymer therefore in the ABS the styrene-butadiene interactions are less important than those between styrene and acrylonitrile units.     

Inhibited degradation of nylon 66 in presence of nitrogen dioxide,ozone, air,and near—ultraviolet radiation

Degradation of nylon 66 films of different morphologies was studied in the presence of nitrogen dioxide, ozone, oxygen, and near-ultraviolet radiation (λ > 2900 Å). Films cast from formic acid solution showed normal random degradation, whereas films cast from benzyl alcohol solutions and dried at elevated temperatures under nitrogen showed very strongly inhibited random degradation. This inhibition may be due to protection of peptide groups by hydrogen bonding with benzaldehyde or benzoic acid or even to their chemical reactions at elevated temperatures. Oxygen was not rigorously excluded during preparation of the films. Degradation of nylon 66 films cast from formic acid solutions at room temperature containing benzaldehyde or benzoic acid, respectively, is also inhibited. The energy of activation for inhibited degradation in presence of nitrogen dioxide is relatively small, indicating that the process is either controlled by diffusion of polymer radicals from medium cages or by diffusion of gases into the polymer. The degradation kinetics can be expressed by “weak”-link random degradation. The weak links are in the present case unprotected peptide groups. The functional relationship between chain scission rate constants and NO₂ pressure is linear.     

Polymer morphology and random chain scission

A theory has been developed for the kinetics of random chain scission of polymers consisting of amorphous and crystalline (spherulite) phases. The degrees of degradation have been derived for such scission due to a gas which in one case is able to penetrate spherulites where degradation is then diffusion-controlled and in another case cannot diffuse into spherulites. In the later case, special conditions are prevalent in the amorphous–crystalline interface. Main-chain links in crystalline fold regions are assumed to scission faster than all other main-chain links due to strain energy.     

Thermal stability of ferrocene derivatives and ferrocene-containing polyamides

Thermogravimetric data and the kinetic interpretation of the curves of mass loss for ferrocene, ferrocenecarboxylic and ferrocenedicarboxylic acids and a series of ferrocene-containing polyamides are presented. The results indicate that the degradation process occurred with more than one stage of thermal degradation. The apparent activation energy values and the FTIR spectra of the degradation products suggest that the degradation mechanism occurred by either scission of weak links or by random scission of the chain. Apparently, the N-vicinal methylene group was the primary site of attack of oxygen on the polymer chain. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effect of Metal Oxides on the Thermal Degradation of High Impact Polystyrene

The kinetic parameters for the thermal degradation of high impact polystyrene (HIPS) in presence of some metal oxides exhibit reaction rate compensation effect. In thermal degradation of HIPS in presence of transition metal oxides different active centers act simultaneously as reaction sites and macroradicals are formed through random chain scission, disproportion or cyclization. Some oxides retard the polymer degradation through crosslinking and cyclization by the interaction of macroradicals with the double bond in butadiene. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Identification of the principal high molecular weight fragments in the thermal degradation of poly(methyl acrylate)

The pyrolysis of poly(methyl acrylate) has been studied with identification of the major pyrolysis products. The degradation mechanism of Cameron and Kane involving random homolytic scission of the polymer chain followed by a series of intermolecular and intramolecular transfer reactions is extended and confirmed, and it is apparent that a series of saturated and unsaturated oligomers of methyl acrylate are produced.     

γ Radiolysis of poly(4,4′-isopropylidene diphenylene sebacate)

Poly-(4,4′-isopropylidene diphenylene sebacate) (PIDPS), a condensation product of bisphenol-A and sebacic acid, was irradiated with ⁶⁰Co γ rays. Viscosity, end-group analysis, and IR spectral measurement techniques were used to study the chemical changes occurring during γ radiolysis. It is observed that PIDPS undergoes random chain scission owing to weak links which may be present or be incorporated by the oxygen from air. The G value of random chain scission is estimated to be 9, whereas the enthalpy of fusion is found to be 6.2 kcal/mol repeat unit of PIDPS.     

Kinetics of thermal degradation of poly(-caprolactone)

The thermal degradation/modification dynamics of poly(-caprolactone) (PCL) was investigated in a thermogravimetric analyzer under non-isothermal and isothermal conditions. The time evolution of the molecular weight distribution during degradation was studied using gel permeation chromatography. Experimental molecular weight evolution and weight loss profile were modeled using continuous distribution kinetics. The degradation exhibited distinctly different behavior under non-isothermal and isothermal heating. Under non-isothermal heating, the mass of the polymer remained constant at initial stages with rapid degradation at longer times. The Friedman and Chang methods of analysis showed a 3-fold change (from 18 to 55–62 kcal mol⁻¹) in the activation energy from low temperatures to high temperatures during degradation. This suggested the governing mechanism changes during degradation and was explained using two parallel mechanisms (random chain scission and specific chain end scission) without invoking the sequential reaction mechanisms. Under isothermal heating, the polymer degraded by pure unzipping of specific products from the chain end.     

Mechanochemical reaction of polymers by ultrasonic irradiation. I. Mechanochemical reaction in mixtures of polystyrene,styrene, and cyclohexanone

Mechanical degradation and mechanochemical polymerization in polystyrene–styrene–cyclohexanone mixtures have been studied by ultrasonic irradiation at 60°C. The number of fresh polymer chains after the degradation is 2 × 10^?5 mole l^?1 hr^?1. The rate equations for mechanical scission and mechanochemical polymerization have been deduced. The rate equation for mechanical scission was found to be in agreement with the expression of a previous paper. In addition, the rate equation for mechanochemical polymerization is not essentially different from that for the general radical polymerization in the presence of solvents. The kinetic chain length for polymeric free radicals in the polymerization process has been calculated. The mechanochemical polymerization of styrene was initiated by only one of the two kinds of end radicals after mechanical scission of polystyrene. The molecular weight distributions of the samples after the degradation and the polymerization have been compared and discussed.     

Vacuum and oxidative pyrolysis of poly-p-xylylene. II. Chromatographic analysis and kinetics of reaction products

Reaction products of vacuum and oxidative degradation of poly-p-xylylene have been quantitatively determined by chromatographic analysis as function of time, temperature and oxygen pressure. Respective Arrhenius parameters were also ascertained for some of the reaction products and for the sums of all products. The energies of activation for the sums agree quite satisfactorily with the energies of activation obtained previously by uninterrupted experiments in quartz-spoon reaction vessels. The results found here can be described in terms of mechanisms previously postulated on the basis of the total loss in weight (or volatile production) data. Scission of “weak” links (due to abnormal structures) takes place followed by formation of various products. The whole process is governed by the initial chain scission reaction; however, the energies of activation for each of the products do not need to be identical with that of the chain scission reaction. Each product is formed by a reaction which has its own characteristic number average kinetic chain lengths; the latter have their specific energy of activation values. Oxidative degradation produces the same organic compounds as vacuum degradation and in addition CO, CO₂, and H₂O. Oxidized intermediate compounds are apparently fairly rapidly decarboxylated and decarbonylated. Oxidative chain scission is appreciably faster than that in vacuum. Almost simultaneous “weak” link and “normal” chain scission are taking place initiating the formation of a number of products.     

Polymer morphology and random chain scission of nylon 66

Nylon 66 films with varying spherulite size but almost constant percentages of crystallinity were prepared (melt method). These films were degraded by NO₂ over a range of temperatures from 35 to 65°C. Random chain scission took place except in the initial stages at low temperatures at which some crosslinking occurred. Observation of the films with the extent of degradation under polarized light revealed that dark bands developed around and also inside spherulite boundaries that became wider with the extent of degradation. This indicates that amorphous material is formed during random chain scission; the spherulites remained practically intact, however. The experimental chain scission rate constants did not change essentially with spherulite diameter until small diameters were reached, at which time the rate constants increased noticeably. Degradation can be accounted for by chain scission in amorphous and interfacial regions; in the latter the rate constants increased with this area and in addition main chain links were weaker in fold regions, due to strain energy, than normal ones in amorphous regions. The energy of activation for chain scission was compatible with a predominantly diffusion-controlled process.     

Evidence of random chain scissions at low temperatures in the thermal degradation of anionic polystyrenes

In the thermal degradation of some anionic polystyrene samples chain scission was found to occur in the temperature range 180–220°C. The resulting polymer molecules thereafter remain stable up to about 280°C, above which strong reductions occur in the degree of polymerization. It is shown that the low temperature degradation is due to the presence of a small fraction of weak links, which could be tentatively attributed to some oxidation of the polymers.     

PEB/MMA-AN悬浮接枝共聚反应机理

研究了乙烯-1-丁烯共聚物(PEB)弹性体与甲基丙烯酸甲酯(MMA)-丙烯腈(AN)悬浮接枝共聚反应行为及接枝共聚产物对SAN树脂增韧作用随反应时间的变化规律, 用凝胶渗透色谱法和傅里叶变换红外光谱法对接枝共聚产物进行了表征, 分析了接枝共聚反应机理, 推算了接枝链分子量. 结果表明, 体系首先发生链增长自由基向PEB转移终止形成非接枝共聚物(MAN_L)和PEB大分子自由基引发单体共聚形成接枝链(g-MAN)的反应, 接枝反应结束后体系发生明显的非接枝共聚形成非接枝共聚物(MAN_H)的反应; MAN_L的分子量低于g-MAN的分子量, 而g-MAN的分子量明显低于MAN_H的分子量; 在接枝共聚过程中发生已接枝和未接枝PEB断链并随机再接生成多嵌段共聚物的副反应; 在反应初期, 接枝链的AN单元含量接近于非接枝共聚物的AN单元含量, 在反应中后期前者远低于后者.     

A generation mechanism of triboelectricity due to the reaction of mechanoradicals with mechanoions which are produced by mechanical fracture of solid polymer

Mechanical fracture of solid polymer under vacuum at 77K can, in principle, produce both mechanoradicals and mechanoanions which are formed by homolytic and heterolytic scission of carbon-carbon bonds in the polymer main chain. The production of mechanoanions was claimed by a detection of tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) anion radical (TCNE^–), which was observed by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy using the electron trapping method with TCNE.A novel mechanism for generating triboelectricity is proposed. The charge carrer is an electron. The electron donor is the mechanoanion A^–, which is produced by heterolytic carbon-carbon bond scission of the main chain of polymer A. The electron acceptor is the mechanoradical B·, which is produced by homolytic carbon-carbon bond scission of the main chain of polymer B. Charge separation is due to an electron transfer from the mechanoanion to the mechanoradical when in contact. It is possible to speculate the sign of the charge induced by friction from the electron release potential of A^–, Pr(A^–), and the molecular electron affinity of B·, Ea(B·). The triboelectric series deduced from our mechanism is PMMA-PP-PE-PVDF-PTFE, in which polymers having a relatively low Pr(A^–) to high Pr(A^–) or polymers having a relatively low Ea(B·) to high Ea(B·) are arranged. This order is identical with well-known triboelectric series.Dedicated to Professor Hans-Henning Kausch on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

Dimensions of branched polymers formed in simultaneous long‐chain branching and random scission

In free‐radical olefin polymerizations, the polymer‐transfer reactions could lead to chain scission as well as the formation of long‐chain branches. The Monte Carlo simulation for free‐radical polymerization that involves simultaneous long‐chain branching and random scission is used to investigate detailed branched structure. The relationship between the mean‐square radius of gyration 〈s²〉 and degree of polymerization P as well as that between the branching density and P is the same for both with and without random scission reactions—at least for smaller frequencies of scission reactions. The 〈s²〉 values were larger than those calculated from the Zimm–Stockmayer (Z‐S) equation in which random distribution of branch points is assumed, and therefore, the Z‐S equation may not be applied for low‐density polyethylenes. The elution curves of size exclusion chromatography were also simulated. The molecular weight distribution (MWD) calibrated relative to standard linear polymers is much narrower than the true MWD, and high molecular weight tails are clearly underestimated. A simplified method to estimate the true MWD from the calibrated MWD data is proposed. The MWD obtained with a light scattering photometer in which the absolute weight‐average molecular weight of polymers at each retention volume is determined directly is considered a reasonable estimate of the true MWD. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 39: 2960–2968, 2001     

Free radical-induced oxidative degradation of polyacrylamide in aqueous solution

The oxidative main chain degradation of polyacrylamide initiated by ^·OH radicals attacking the polymer in aqueous solution was studied. ^·OH radicals were produced by irradiating dilute polymer solutions with high energy radiation. A bimolecular process (combination of PO₂ radicals) was found to be the rate determining step in the series of consecutive reactions leading to main-chain rupture. This was revealed from results obtained in pulse radiolysis studies using the light scattering detection method. Under the given experimental conditions, the number of radical sites per initial macromolecule exceeded unity with the consequence that intramolecular reactions of PO₂ radicals dominated intermolecular combinations. From both pulse radiolysis and continuous irradiations it was inferred that only a small fraction (about 1%) of the attacking ^·OH radicals initiated main-chain scission.     

Thermal degradation of copolymers of methyl methacrylate and methyl acrylate. II. Chain scission and the mechanism of the reaction

It has been established that one molecule of carbon dioxide is produced for each chain scission during degradation of methyl methacrylate–methyl acrylate copolymers with molar compositions in the ratios 112/1, 26/1, 7.7/1, and 2/1. Thus the relatively simple measurement of the production of carbon dioxide can be used to determine the extent of chain scission. In this way the relationships between chain scission and volatilization, zip length, copolymer composition, and the production of permanent gases have been established. The rate of chain scission is proportional to a power of the methyl acrylate content of the copolymer less than 0.5, from which it has been concluded that a significant proportion of the initial production of radicals and the subsequent attack of these radicals on the polymer chains is at random and not specifically associated with the methyl acrylate units. A mechanism for the overall thermal degradation process in this copolymer system is presented in the light of these observations.     

Pyrolysis-gas-liquid-chromatography utilised for a kinetic study of the mechanisms of initiation and termination in the thermal degradation of polystyrene

Pyrolysis-gas-liquid-chromatography (“thermocouple feedback” technique) has been used to study the thermal degradation kinetics of ionically-initiated and free-radical-initiated samples of polystyrene. Although mass-spectrometric measurements confirm that the pyrolysis products from large samples (1 mg) contain oligomers up to at least hexamer in addition to monomer, only monomer is detected when small thin samples (0.1 μg, 10²–10⁵ Å) are used. This effect is not due to a sensitivity problem in detecting oligomers, nor to the incapacity of such compounds of limited volatility to elute from the GLC apparatus. In studying the kinetics of monomer evolution from thin films, initial work was concerned with the effect of film thickness and the limits of first-order behaviour. Then the specific rate of monomer evolution (k_obs) was measured as a function of molecular weight for both types of sample at 723 K and 753 K; the results indicate that the pyrolysis mechanism involves both initiation at the chain-ends and initiation by random scission. Kinetic schemes involving mixed initiation have been proposed, and on this basis the results have been analysed to yield activation energies for scission and end-initiation for both types of sample. Comparison of the activation energies obtained with the quoted value for scission of a CC bond has shown that the depolymerization chain termination process cannot be second order and must be first order in the concentration of long chain radicals. The experimental results also indicate that the ionically-initiated polystyrenes are more stable than free-radical-initiated samples of comparable molecular weight. Possible initiation sites have been discussed with reference to the samples examined and to previous published studies. Several mechanisms leading to first order termination have been proposed; it is suggested that the most probable process involves intramolecular transfer with subsequent scission to give an oligomer radical which is small enough to diffuse readily from the system without further reaction.     

Photolysis of poly(o-acetylstyrene) in solution

Dilute solutions of poly(o-acetylstyrene) (POAS) were exposed to long-wave (λ ≥ 300 nm) UV radiation under high vacuum at 25 ± 1°C. Methane and much smaller amounts of ethane were formed, indicating α-cleavage (Norrish Type I). The quantum yield for CH₄ formation (5 × 10^?5 mol einstein^?1) was an order of magnitude lower than that observed for similar studies of POAS films. Molecular weight ( M _n) measurements indicate that chain scission occurs, and this is attributed to β-scission of the macroradicals formed by H-abstraction at the α-C atoms by the carbonyl triplet, and to a lesser extent, by the CH₃ radicals. Quenching by both naphthalene and cyclooctadiene conformed to Stern–Volmer kinetics. The effects on chain scission of a number of additives with varying transfer activities were found to be complex and unexpected. Rates of scission not only increased, even when substances with high transfer activity (e.g., cumene) were present, but also varied with the concentration of additive, being higher at lower additive concentrations. It would appear that solvent quality has a dominant influence (these additives are poor solvents). Tighter coiling of the polymer in the solutions containing poorer solvents results in more segment-segment contacts and with them more photoreduction and chain scission. However, at higher nonsolvent concentrations, diffusive separation of the fragments (and chain scission) becomes more difficult, and the balance is shifted in favor of cyclization (and perhaps also intermolecular crosslinking). The relative high photostability of POAS in solution (cf. thin film) has been interpreted in terms of increased competition from photoisomerization. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The Photolysis of Polyvinylpyrrolidone in Oxygen-Free Aqueous Solutions

Abstract

The photolysis of polyvinylpyrrolidone in oxygen-free aqueous solutions has been investigated as a function of polymer concentration, chain length, light intensity, and temperature. Ultraviolet spectra at various degrees of degradation have been measured. The experimental data can be satisfactorily accounted for by a Norrish type II cleavage of main chain links for ketones in conjunction with a small component of type I chain scission yielding polymer radicals. Recombination of double-bond-ended chains with polymer radicals takes place.