Metal-containing polymers, thermal analysis

Thermal Analysis of Metal-Containing Polymers Generalizations... 

Few definitive thermal studies of metal-containing polymers (with the exception of silicon-containing polymers) exist in the literature. Thermal analysis is typically done as a matter of preliminary testing on new polymers. Further, most of the studies were done prior to the advent of the automatic, programmed thennal analysis instruments. 

Further, the thermogravimetric analysis of metal diols of HBP and respective metal-containing polymers was done to study the thermal stability of the polyesters. The TG data show that all the polyesters are very stable up to 250°C. The energies of activation of degradation of these polyesters have been calculated using the Fuoss method [106]. 

A number of companion techniques have been shown to be useful and merit further use. These include NMR, IR, MS, GC-MS, AA, X-ray microscopy, and GPC. ESR has not been appreciably utilized as a companion technique but may be considered, particularly with polymers containing ESR-sensitive metals. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) should be considered as a companion tool for thermal degradation evaluations where depolymerization is suspected. There is a need for a number of well-chosen thermal analysis studies of both the volatile products by TG-MS, etc. (for both chemical and toxicological purposes) and the residue. Such studies should occur throughout the studied temperature range rather than just at the room and final temperatures. 

It is well-documented that aromatic polymers containing aryl ether or sulfone linkages have excellent thermal and mechanical properties [107]. Analysis of the TGA traces for 15-18 revealed that they all exhibit good thermal stability. They retained more than 95% of their mass in the range of 335 to 363 °C. Their onset decomposition temperatures appeared higher than that in tra s-[-Pt(PBu3)2C = C (p-C H )jC = C-] (-300°C) [116]. Thus, the introduction of a heteroatom can enhance the thermal stability of this class of metal polyynes. We observed a sharp... 

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