THERMOGRAVIMETRY FOURIER-TRANSFORM INFRARED COUPLING INVESTIGATIONS TO STUDY THE THERMAL-STABILITY OF MELAMINE-FORMALDEHYDE RESIN

This work reports new results obtained for a stable melamine formaldeh yde resin intermediate. Using thermogravimetry/Fourier transform infra red (TG/FTIR) coupling, qualitative and quantitative analyses of the e ffluents which appear during a thermal cycle were performed. Four succ essive mass losses appear on the thermogravimetric curve (between 40 a nd 145 degrees C, 145 and 225 degrees C, 225 and 440 degrees C, and fo r T > 440 degrees C). The TG/FTIR coupling analysis identifies most of the effluents (water, methanol, formaldehyde, CO2, amino compounds, a mmonia).