| Abstract: | Thermal stability of vinyl chloride/carbon monoxide copolymers synthetized in the presence of different proportions of carbon monoxide was studied in nitrogen, oxygen or air stream at 180°C. Dehydrochlorination rate increases proportionally to the incorporated carbonyl content. Effect of air and oxygen on acceleration of the decomposition is higher for PVC samples of regular structure than for the vinyl chloride/carbon monoxide copolymers. In the infra-red spectra recorded after the thermal oxidative decomposition, a broad absorption band appears between 1600 and 1800 cm?1. Two peaks show the most emphasized increase: one at 1720 to 1730 cm?1 assigned to the carbonyl group and another at about 1770 cm?1 of unidentified origin. Additional oxidation products from the polyene yield a “shoulder” in the spectrum between 1600 and 1690 cm?1. |
