| Abstract: | Cardinyl acrylate (CA), prepared by the reaction of acryloyl chloride and cardinol, was copolymerized with methyl methacrylate (MMA) in bulk at 80°C using 2% benzoyl peroxide as an initiator. The copolymer composition was determined by 1H-NMR spectroscopy. Three copolymer samples containing 0.0048–0.0838 mol fraction of cardinyl acrylate were obtained. A significant improvement in the thermal stability of MMA was observed by incorporating 0.0048–0.0838 mol fraction of CA in the backbone. The activation energy for decomposition in the temperature range 350–480°C for copolymers was higher than PMMA. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. |
