THERMAL-ANALYSIS OF ELECTROINITIATED AND RADIATION-INDUCED POLY(EPOXYCYCLOPENTANES) AND POLY(EPOXYCYCLOHEXANES) BY MASS-SPECTROMETRY

Thermal behaviour of electroinitiated and radiation induced poly(epoxy cyclopentanes), PECP, and poly(epoxycyclohexanes), PECH, have been stu died by a direct pyrolysis mass spectrometry technique. The mechanism of thermal degradation of the samples prepared by electroinitiation wa s found to be a radical depolymerization mechanism yielding mainly mon omer. The broader temperature ranges of thermal decomposition in the c ase of polymer samples prepared by irradiation may be attributed to mo re complicated degradation mechanisms such as random bond cleavages fo r PECP and dehydrogenation reactions stabilizing high mass fragments b efore decomposition of the main chain for PECH.