Polystyrene with trifluoromethyl units: Monomer reactivity ratios, thermal behavior, flammability, and thermal degradation kinetics. Issue 47 (1st September 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wiacek, Malgorzata; Wesolek, Dorota; Rojewski, Szymon; Bujnowicz, Krzysztof; Jurczyk, Sebastain; Kurcok, Malgorzata; Schab‐Balcerzak, Ewa
• Is Part Of: Journal of applied polymer science. Volume 132:Issue 47(2015)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2015-09-01
• Subjects: Polymers -- Periodicals; Polymerization -- Periodicals; 668.9
• DOI: 10.1002/app.42839
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0021-8995

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>ABSTRACT</title> <p>Chemical modification based on incorporation of flame retardants (FR) into the polymer backbone was used in order to reduce polystyrene flammability. 3‐(trifluoromethyl)styrene (StCF<sub>3</sub>) and 3, 5‐<italic>bis</italic>(trifluoromethyl)styrene (St(CF<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub>) were applied as reactive FR. Copolymers were synthesized with different feed ratios and it gave series of copolymers with various amounts of StCF<sub>3</sub> and St(CF<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub> (5–50% mol/mol of St). Glass transition temperature (<italic>T<sub>g</sub></italic>) and thermal stability of obtained (co)polymers were determined from differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), respectively. Kinetic parameters such as the thermal decomposition activation energy (<italic>E</italic>) and frequency factor (<italic>A</italic>) were estimated by Ozawa and Kissinger models. Pyrolysis combustion flow calorimeter (PCFC) was applied as a tool for assessing the flammability of the synthesized (co)polymers. Relative reactivity ratios were determined by applying the conventional linearization Jaacks method (<italic>r</italic><sub>St</sub> = 1.34<sub>, </sub><italic>r</italic><sub>StCF3</sub> = 0.54), (<italic>r</italic><sub>St</sub> = 0.47<sub>, </sub><italic>r</italic><sub>St(CF3)2</sub> = 0.13). The results suggest that incorporation of fluorinated styrenes into PSt enchance flame retardance. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. <bold>2015</bold>, <italic>132</italic>, 42839.</p> </abstract>