EFFECTS OF SOLVENTS AND INORGANIC SALTS ON THE REACTIVE PYROLYSIS OF AROMATIC POLYESTER IN THE PRESENCE OF TETRAMETHYLAMMONIUM HYDROXIDE STUDIED BY PYROLYSIS-GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY MASS-SPECTROMETRY

The mechanism of the reactive pyrolysis of an aromatic polyester sampl e in the presence of tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) solution is studied by pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The contrib ution of solvent (methanol) is evaluated by use of a deuterated methan ol solution of TMAH. The results obtained suggest that methyl derivati ves are formed not only through hydrolysis by TMAH but also through me thanolysis to some extent. Further, the study of the influence of coex isting alkali salt impurities in the reagent on the reactive pyrolysis reveals that the presence of such alkali salts hinders the quantitati ve derivatization of the aromatic polyesters into the methyl esters of constituents.