Polymer composites of nano-sized particles isolated in matrix

The kinetic and mechanism of thermal decay of transition metal acrylates or its cocrystallites are studied. At 200–300°C the rate of thermal decay can be described by first-order rate equations. The thermal transformations of the metal-containing monomers under study involve dehydration, solid-phase polymerization and thermolysis processes. The composition of products of the thermal transformations are studied. The products of the decay are analyzed by optical and electron microscopy as well as by magnetic measurements, IR and mass spectroscopy. The main solid-state products of decomposition are nanometer-sized particles of metal or its oxide and ferrites with a narrow size distribution stabilized by the polymeric matrix. The average particle sizes, L_av, are 6.0–13.0 nm in the case of FeAcr₃ and 6.0 nm for cocrystallites FeCoAcr and Fe₂CoAcr. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.