The oxidative thermal degradation of polypropylene and the influence of transition metal chelates

Thermoanalytical techniques have been used to investigate the oxidative thermal degradation of polypropylene with special reference to the inhibiting effects of certain metal chelates. The inhibiting efficiency, defined in terms of the difference in temperature between the melting point of the polymer and the temperature of onset of exothermic oxygen uptake, has been determined for each additive using differential thermal analysis (DTA). The exothermicity of polypropylene oxidation has also been estimated.