THERMAL STUDIES OF METAL POLY(BUTYL METHACRYLATES) .13.

Metal poly(butyl methacrylates) polymers were obtained by radical poly merization with benzoyl peroxide. The monomer was cocondensed with the metals: Cu, Ag, Au, Pd, Zn, Cd, Ga, In, Ge, Sn, Sb and Bi. The metals were evaporated to produce atoms and with the monomer they can genera te a matrix at 77 K. After the warm up process, metal-monomer colloids can be obtained. The colloids were polymerized with benzoyl peroxide at 70 degrees C for 0.5 h at 70 degrees C. Four different initiator co ncentrations (0.5, 1.0, 1.25 and 5.0 mol%) were used. The yields are o ver 50% and the viscosimetric molecular weight range from 10(4)-10(5) g/mol. The higher My are Sb, In, Ag and Ge-poly(butyl methacrylates). The thermal stabilities of these metal polymers have been studied by t hermogravimetry (TG) between 25 and 550 degrees C under nitrogen flow. The decomposition temperature was obtained from the maximum of the fi rst derivative from TG curve. The kinetic parameters of the thermal de composition were determined by the Arrhenius equation. All these polym ers degrade in a single step around 300 degrees C. The kinetic data th us obtained show the thermostabilities decrease in the order: Pd-PBMA > Au-PBMA > In-PBMA > Sn-PBMA > Ag-PBMA > Sb-PBMA > Bi-PBMA > Ge-PBMA > Zn-PBMA > Ga-PBMA > Cu-PRMA > Cd-PBMA. The thermal stability apparen tly is depending upon the metal incorporated in the polymer matrix. Th e decomposition reaction order is -0.25 or -0.5 which means that we ar e in the presence of a complex single decomposition reaction, The pre- exponential factor, the activation energy, the reaction order and the decomposition temperature for all the polymers have been determined.