SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION AND THERMAL-DECOMPOSITION BEHAVIOR OF OROPHENYLMALEIMIDE-CO-1-(2-HYDROXYETHYL)AZIRIDINE]

The copalymerization of p-chlorophenylmaleimide, as an electrophilic m onomer, and 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)aziridine, as a nucleophilic monomer, wi thout initiator in solution under various conditions was investigated. Copolymers were characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR and H-1-NM R spectroscopy. The copolymer composition depends on the monomer feed ratio. The thermal degradation of a series of five copolymers has been investigated using thermogravimetry in the temperature range 20-500 d egrees C. All the copolymers degrade in one step. The kinetic paramete rs Ea, n and A were calculated. The thermal stability depends also on the copolymer composition.