Thermo(oxidative) Stability of Polymeric Materials

Abstract

This chapter provides an introduction to basic concepts but focuses mainly on good experimental practice, current testing procedures, and thermo(oxidative) characteristics of often overlooked polymeric materials, including polyamides, elastomers, and rubbers. The most common method utilized to characterize the thermo(oxidative) stability of polymeric materials is thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), during which the mass of a sample is measured with respect to temperature and time. Hyphenation, which constitutes the coupling of TGA with an evolved gas analyzer such as a Fourier-transform infrared or mass spectrometer, can be used to gain additional insight into the functional groups and chemical structure of gases, such as water vapor and volatile products, associated with weight loss in a sample. The thermal stability of a material across a desired temperature range is demonstrated by the lack of an observable mass change, which corresponds to a constant straight line rather than a negative gradient in the TGA curve.