The thermal degradation of poly(aryl—ether—ether—ketone) (PEEK) as monitored by pyrolysis—GC/MS and TG/MS

Abstract

The thermal degradation of poly(aryl—ether—ether—ketone) has been studied over a range of pyrolysis conditions using both a flash pyrolysis—gas chromatography/mass spectrometry technique (Py—GC/MS) and a thermogravimetry/mass spectrometry technique. The major volatile thermal decomposition product was found to be phenol, which dominated all other volatile species especially under the least severe pyrolysis conditions. Under more severe pyrolysis conditions, such as those encountered in the Py—GC/MS experiments, a much wider range of volatile products was obtained. The results have been interpreted to imply that the primary random chain scission reactions occur at the ether linkages and it is only under more severe pyrolysis conditions that random chain scission also involves the ketone linkage.