Thermal degradation of poly 2-[3-(6-tetralino)-3-methylcyclobutyl]-2-ketoethyl methacrylate

• Published in: Polymer degradation and stability 2003, Vol.81 (2), p.287-295
• Main Authors: Erol, Ibrahim, Soykan, Cengiz, Ilter, Zülfiye, Ahmedzade, Misir
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 2-[3-(6-Tetralino)-3-methylcyclobutyl]-2-ketoethyl methacrylate; Activation energies; Applied sciences; Chemical reactions and properties; Degradation; Exact sciences and technology; Organic polymers; Physicochemistry of polymers; Thermal degradation
• ISSN: 0141-3910; 1873-2321
• DOI: 10.1016/S0141-3910(03)00099-5

The thermal degradation of poly 2-[3-(6-tetralino)-3-methylcyclobutyl]-2-ketoethyl methacrylate [poly(TKEMA)] has been studied using a system consisting of a degradation tube, with a condenser for product collection, a gas-phase IR cell and a rotary pump and by thermogravimetry (TG). The investigation of the nature of the evolved products has been supplemented by studies of structural changes in the degrading polymer by FT-IR spectroscopy. Changes have been investigated under programmed heating at 10 °C/min from room temperature to 500 °C. In degradation of [poly(TKEMA)], product identification studies were done using FT-IR, 1H and 13C NMR and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. Depolymerization is the main reaction in thermal degradation of the polymer. The degradation produces anhydride ring structures in the chain at temperatures up to about 300 °C. The cleaving of ketone, aldehyde, tetralin compounds from side chains of the polymers is a common reaction for the polymers. A mechanism of degradation showing the formation of some of these products is discussed. The activation energy for the thermal degradation of [poly(TKEMA)] is 210 kJ/mol in the first stage, observed at 220–330 °C. The second stage decomposition commenced at 330–430 °C and the energy of activation was 125 kJ/mol.