Thermal decomposition of some poly(β-hydroxyalkanoates)

✍ Scribed by Galego, Norma; Rozsa, Chavati

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 78 KB
• Volume: 48
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0959-8103
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0126(199912)48:12<1202::aid-pi223>3.0.co;2-d

✦ Synopsis

The thermal decomposition of some polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) has been investigated by means of thermogravimetry and differential thermogravimetry. The thermal stability of the studied polyesters decreases slightly with increasing hydroxyvalerate (HV) comonomer. This result is different from those reported in the literature. Other results agree with reaction mechanisms proposed in the literature. The data from dynamic thermogravimetric experiments are consistent with a ®rst order reaction, as would be expected from the reaction mechanism. Infrared spectra of the thermally degraded and undegraded copolymers are evidence of the cis-elimination mechanism.