Abstract
Thermal Volatilization Analysis (TVA) demonstrates that poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is stabilized by blending with polypropylene (PP). Although well-defined radical reactions occur in both polymers under 2537 Å radiation, there is no evidence of the formation of block or graft copolymers when blends of the two are irradiated. Preirradiation suppresses the amount of monomeric methyl methacrylate formed on subsequent thermal degradation. The missing methyl methacrylate units appear in the chain fragment fraction. The characteristics of the thermal degradation of blends of unirradiated PP with preirradiated PMMA are similar to those of unirradiated rather than pre-irradiated blends, thus emphasizing the importance of the PP component in determining the thermal stability of blends after irradiation. These observations are discussed mechanistically.
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