Fourier transform ir studies of the degradation of polyacrylonitrile copolymers—I: Introduction and comparative rates of the degradation of three copolymers below 200°c and under reduced pressure
✍ Scribed by M.M. Coleman; G.T. Sivy
- Publisher
- Elsevier Science
- Year
- 1981
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 447 KB
- Volume
- 19
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0008-6223
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✦ Synopsis
Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)
and copolymers of PAN containing comonomers of vinyl acetate (VAc), methacrylic acid (MAA), acrylamide (AM) and other acrylics are important precursors to the formation of carbon fibers. Fourier transform IR spectroscopy has proved to be an excellent technique with which to study the degradation of these polymers in the initial stages where cyclization of the polymer chain takes place. In this communication we present comparative rate studies of the degradation of three PAN copolymers containing approx. 4 wt% of VAc, MAA and AM respectively. The rate of de~adation is observed to be markedly dependent upon the chemical structure of the comonomer.