Thermal stability of polymethacrylic based ELIUM® resin: Effect of comonomers, antioxidants and aluminum trihydrate filler

Abstract

This paper presents the study of the thermal degradation of methyl methacrylate resin based materials known as ELIUM® resin. Samples under investigation were made from MMA based resin (ELIUM® V1), ELIUM® V1 with a dimethacrylate comonomer (ELIUM® V2), and ELIUM® V2 with a stabilizer package (ELIUM® V3). They were used for trying to discuss the degradation mechanisms. Blocks differing by their thickness made from ELIUM® formulation filled with aluminum TriHydrate used as flame retardant were also investigated in order to better match some industrial materials. Degradation was observed to be mainly driven by unzipping, consistent with the methacrylic nature of ELIUM® resin. Occurrence of oxidation is also discussed depending on materials formulation and temperature. A blend of antioxidants was inefficient for limiting mass loss. At 200 °C, both ATH and ELIUM® degrade, which contributes to overall mass loss. At temperatures below 180 °C, ATH does not seem to induce new degradation mechanisms but would increase oxygen diffusivity. Finally, a first simple kinetic model is proposed to predict mass loss in thick composite blocks aged under air.