THERMAL-DEGRADATION OF COPOLYMERS OF STYRENE AND 4-NITROSTYRENE

The thermal degradation of styrene-4-nitrostyrene copolymers (SNS) has been studied using differential thermal analysis (DTA) and thermograv imetry (TGA) under isothermal and dynamic conditions in dynamic nitrog en. The apparent activation energy of the degradative process was dete rmined following several methods of thermogravimetric analysis. The st ability decreases as the nitrostyrene content in the copolymer increas es. Fourier-transform infra-red spectroscopy has been used to analyze the degradation products at various degrees of conversion. (C) 1998 El sevier Science Limited. All rights reserved.