Thermal and oxidative degradation of vinyl triethoxy silane - methyl methacrylate copolymers

Methyl methacrylate (MMA) was copolymerized with vinyl triethoxy silane (VT ES) using (CO)-C-60-gamma radiaton at varying ratios of the monomers. The h omopolymers PMMA and PVTES were also prepared by the same method. The therm al stabilities and activation energies for the thermal and oxidative degrad ation reactions of these samples were studied by thermogravimetry. It was o bserved that the incorporation of PVTES segments in the copolymers decrease d the thermal stability of PMMA, as confirmed by thermogravimetric analysis . The activation energies for the degradation process in both N-2 and O-2 a tmospheres of copolymers calculated by Freeman - Carroll method with Jeres correction decreased with increasing mole fraction of VTES. (C) 1998 Elsevi er Science Ltd. All rights reserved.