Implementation and evaluation of tests

The measurements were carried out using a Stanton-Redcroft TG 750 thermobalance and a DuPont 990 Thermoanalyzer equipped with a pressure DSC cell. 

The standard experimental conditions used for thermogravimetry were a heating rate /3= 10 K/min and a gas flow rate of 25 cm /min. The experiments were performed in inert 

In order to investigate reaction kinetics, DSC experiments were performed at different heating rates ()3= 10, 20, and 50 K/nnin). The inert gas was argon at 1 bar pressure and a flow rate of 5 cmVmin. Additional experimental runs were performed in methane at 10 bar pressure and at a flow rate of 5 cmVmin in order to study the influence of a hydrocarbon atmosphere and to simulate the thermal cracking process. Unfortunately, methane pressure highter than 10 bar was not available, so the conditions of the cracking process could not be simulated perfectly. 

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