THERMAL STUDIES OF METAL POLY(N-BUTYL METHACRYLATES) .10.

Metal poly(n-butylmethacrylates) polymers were obtained by radical pol ymerization with azodiisobutyronitrile (AIBN). The thermal stabilities of the metal polymers (M-PBMA) have been studied by thermogravimetry (TG) between 25 and 550-degrees-C under nitrogen flow. The decompositi on temperature was obtained from the first derivative of the TG curve. The kinetic parameters of the thermal decomposition were determined b y the Arrhenius equation. All these polymers degrade in a single step. The kinetic data thus obtained show that the thermostabilities decrea se in the order Pd-PBMA > Ga-PBMA > Cu-PBMA > Ag-PBMA > Au-PBMA > Al-P BMA > Cd-PBMA > Ge-PBMA > Zn-PBMA > Sb-PBMA > In-PBMA > Sn-PBMA. In fa ct, the thermal stability is dependent upon the metal incorporated in the polymer, the highest being stable up to 389-degrees-C and the lowe st up to 260-degrees-C. The order of reaction from the thermal decompo sition of these metal polymers was found to be -0.25 for the homopolym ers, Pd, Au, Ag, Cd, Zn, Ga, Ge and Sn but -0.5 for Bi, Sb and Al. The pre-exponential factor, the reaction order and the activation energy of the decomposition reaction for M-PBMA have been determined.