THERMOOXIDATIVE DEGRADATION OF HETEROPHASIC ETHYLENE-PROPYLENE COPOLYMERS AND THEIR FRACTIONS

The thermo-oxidative degradation behaviour of heterophasic ethylene-pr opylene copolymers and their fractions is discussed and the results ar e compared with those for the corresponding homopolymers. The most inf ormative results were obtained when a small reactive species produced in the degradation was treated with reactive gases. The extent of ther mal degradation was monitored by Fourier transform infrared spectrosco py. The kinetics of oxygen absorption have also been studied at 140-de grees-C. Oxygen deficiency is manifested in the formation of diffusion -limited products from ethylene-propylene copolymer samples.