Thermal degradation of epoxide polymers

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Abstract
The thermal degradation of five crosslinked epoxide polymers were studied in vacuo by differential thermogravimetry. Three of the polymers were prepared by reacting methyl nadic anhydride, maleic anhydride, and m‐phenylenediamine with diglycidyl ether of bisphenol‐A; the other two were obtained by reacting methyl nadic anhydride and m‐phenylenediamine with resorcinol diglycidyl ether. Tenmilligram powdered samples were heated over the temperature range from 25° to 925°C. at a rate of 5°C./min. Differential thermogravimetric curves showed that the polymers incorporating methyl nadic anhydride decomposed in two distinct stages, whereas those based on m‐phenylenediamine or maleic anhydride degraded in only one stage. This difference in mechanism of decomposition is attributed to decarboxylation of ester groups having the methyl nadicdicarboxylic structure in the polymers. Substitution of a 2,2‐diphenylpropyl group for a phenyl group in resorcinol diglycidyl ether, to give diglycidyl ether of bisphenol‐A, influenced appreciably the maximum rates of decomposition of the corresponding polymers. In the case of the polymer based on m‐phenylenediamine, the rate was increased by this substitution, but for the polymer derived from methylnadic anhydride the rate was decreased.

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