Synthetic, structural, and thermal degradation of a tercopolymer derived from salicylic acid, guanidine, and formaldehyde

Abstract

A salicylic acid–guanadine–formaldehyde (SGF) tercopolymer was synthesized by the condensation of salicylic acid with guanidine carbonate and formaldehyde in 1 : 1 : 2 molar proportions in the presence of 2M HCl as a catalyst. The SGF tercopolymer was characterized on the basis of elemental analysis and ultraviolet–visible, IR, and NMR spectral studies. The Freeman–Carroll and Sharp–Wentworth methods were used to calculate the activation energy and thermal stability of the tercopolymer. Kinetic parameters such as activation energy, entropy change, free-energy change, frequency factor, apparent entropy change, and order of reaction were calculated with the Freeman–Carroll method. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 2278–2283, 2004