Study on the thermal degradation of high performance fibers by TG/FTIR and Py-GC/MS

The thermal degradation behaviors of Kevlar 49, Kevlar 129 (Poly(p-phenylene terephthamide), Nomex (polyisophthaloyl metaphenylene diamine), and PBO(poly(p-phenylene benzobisoxazole)) fibers were measured by TG/FTIR and Py-GC/MS. The characteristic temperatures of the fibers in air were obtained by TG. It indicated that the initial degradation temperature of the PBO is the highest. The initial degradation temperature of Nomex fiber is the lowest, but the end decomposition temperature of Nomex is the highest. The gases released by the pyrolysis in air were mainly CO₂, CO, H₂O, NO, and HCN, also containing a small amount of NH₃, and the absorption peaks of CO₂ were the strongest. The results of Py-GC/MS showed that CO₂ and benzene were the most pyrolysis fragment. With the change of pyrolysis temperature, the chromatogram and mass spectra results take a large variety. The pyrolysates can help us to study the pyrolysis process of high performance fibers.