Thermal Analysis of Acetylene Terminated Sulfone (ATS) Resin
Abstract
A number of new thermo-analytical techniques for the elucidation of kinetic and mechanistic aspects of the decomposition of thermally stable polymers under high vacuum conditions are described herein, with particular reference to their use in conjunction with more conventional techniques of organic structural analysis to gain a more comprehensive insight into the degradation process. In addition to general procedures, some approaches geared specifically to the thermal analysis of acetylene terminated sulfone (ATS) resins are also detailed. A compositional analysis of volatiles 'flashed' from thin films of ATS-G prepolymer is used to assess the purity of the feedstock used to prepare ATS-G, and to propose the existence of some preparative side reactions. A brief description of the cure process of ATS-G is followed by a more complex study of the post cure step and its overlap with low temperature degradations in the polymer. Finally, a fairly comprehensive mechanism of accelerated high temperature thermal degradation of ATS-G and its component fractions. With particular reference to the influence of the sulfone linkage as a (relatively) unstable thermal weak link, and the polyene crosslink (or its thermal derivative) on the weight loss processes operative within the basic polyphenylether constituent of the polymer.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 18, 1990
- Accession Number
- ADA220775
Entities
People
- E. J. Soloski
- I. J. Goldfarb
- W. T. Stevenson
Organizations
- Wright Laboratory