Isothermal degradation and thermooxidative degradation of an epoxy powder coating

Abstract

Thermogravimetry was used to study the kinetics of isothermal degradation of an epoxy thermoset powder coating in a nitrogen atmosphere and in oxidizing atmospheres of air and pure oxygen. An integral isoconversional procedure was used to analyse how the activation energy varies depending on the degree of conversion and depending on the atmospheres used. In the case of degradation in a nitrogen atmosphere, in addition to the activation energy, the kinetic triplet was completed using an Avrami reaction model and the pre-exponential factor. With this atmosphere, the conclusion was reached that the isothermal and non-isothermal kinetics are equivalent. It was shown that the thermooxidative degradation process is more complex and consists of a two-stage process. The first stage of degradation is similar whether nitrogen, oxygen or air are present. Chain scission occurs and it seems that there is formation of thermally more stable compounds. The second stage of degradation, involving several phenomena, occurs only in the presence of oxygen or air and leads to the total disappearance of the organic material by thermooxidation. These stages are very similar under non-isothermal or isothermal conditions.