Thermo-oxidative degradation activation energy

The catalytic effect of various metals, metal oxides, and metal stearates on the thermo-oxidative degradation has been examined in the solid phase and in solution. In the latter case activity decreased in the order Cu, Mn, Fe, Cr, Co, Ni, Ti, Al, Zn, and V. The chemiluminiscence observed during thermo-oxidation has been interpreted as arising from the decomposition of ctketone hydroperoxides followed by oxidation of the polymer chain by secondary peroxy radicals. U.v. and fluorescence microscopy together with energy-dispersive. Y-ray analysis have been used to develop a model for the distribution of partially degraded polymer in isotactic polypropylene. ... 

DTA used in conjunction with mass spectrometry has been used to measure energy changes caused by phase transformations in polymers [16-19]. Fernandez [19] used DTA to determine the activation energy of the degradation of styrene-nitrostyrene copolymers. This technique in conjunction with TGA has also been used to examine the influence of allyl glycidylester in its copolymer with dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate on the thermo-oxidative degradation of the copolymer [20]. 

The kinetic analysis of the process is based on Pick s law, modified by a term taking into account oxygen chemical consumption [53, 58, 59]. The activation energy for thermo-oxidative degradation is 60 kJ mol [60] and for oxygen diffusion is 23 kJ mol [58]. 

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