Thermally degrading polyethylene studied by means of factor‐jump thermogravimetry

Abstract

AbstractDegradation of polyethylene in both linear (NBS 1475) and branched (NBS 1476) form has been studied in the range 410–475°C using factor‐jump thermogravimetry. In vacuum, the rate of weight loss was erratic because of bubbling in the sample. The apparent overall activation energy was determined to be 65.4 ± 0.5 kcal/mol (273 ± 2 kJ/mol). There was no distinguishable difference between linear and branched samples. In slowly flowing N2 at 8 mmHg (1 mmHg = 133 Pa), the overall activation energy was determined to be 64.8 ± 0.3 kcal/mol (271 ± 1 kJ/mol) for linear PE and 64.4 ± 0.2 kcal/mol (269 ± 1 kJ/mol) for a sample of PE with one percent branches. In N2 at 800 mmHg, the values were 62.6 ± 0.5 kcal/mol for linear PE and 61.2 ± 0.6 kcal/mol for the branched sample, the rate of weight loss being smooth in both cases. Changing the linear flow velocities over the range 1–4 mm/sec at 800 mmHg did not affect the results. From the insertion of typical values in the equation relating the overall activation energy for weight loss from linear polyethylene to the activation energies of the component steps, a degradation mechanism involving scission β to allyl groups, with rapid hydrogen abstraction, slower subsequent β scission, and bimolecular termination, is indicated. The activation energy of β scission for secondary alkyl radicals is estimated to be 33 kcal/mol. The reason for the lower activation energies in N2 is related to the effects of preformed molecules. The average molecular weights of the volatiles in vacuum and for 8 and 800 mmHg N2 have been shown to be in the ratios 1 to 1/4 to 1/10, respectively, at these imposed rates of weight loss. The activation energies to use for the initial stage of degradation are 70.6 kcal/mol (295 kJ/mol) in vacuum and 67.8 kcal/mol (284 kJ/mol) at atmospheric pressure.