Chemiluminescence study of polymer oxidative stability

The application of the chemiluminescence technique to the study of polymer oxidative stability is discussed. For the initial stages of oxidation a sigmoidal change in the chemiluminescence intensity with time is justified when the experiment is performed isothermally at high oxygen pressure, whereas at low oxygen pressure and constant heating rate an exponential increase in the chemiluminescence intensity is expected. For advanced stages of oxidation depending on the ratio between the initial and equilibrium levels of hydroperoxides, the intensity of emitted light may either grow or decay until the equilibrium concentration of hydroperoxides is established. Two major parameters of an autocatalytic oxidation (induction time and oxidation rate) can be obtained by carrying out the experiment in an oxygen atmosphere at constant temperature. Alternatively, the extent of oxidation in a certain temperature region can be evaluated when a constant-heating-rate experiment is conducted under nitrogen.