DEGRADATION OF PHOSPHORYLATED POLY(N-VINYLCARBAZOLE) BY THERMOGRAVIMETRY

The thermal degradation of phosphorylated poly(N-vinylcarbazole) was s tudied by thermogravimetry. The onset degradation temperature decrease s with respect to that of unmodified poly(N-vinylcarbazole), indicatin g a lower thermal stability for the phosphorylated sample. The activat ion energy values for the degradation process were calculated from the thermograms by treating it as a kinetic analysis; these values are sm aller than those for unmodified samples and depend on molecular weight , phosphorous contents, and heating rate.