Thermal degradation kinetics of calcium stearate/PVC composite

Abstract

Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and non-isothermal multiple scan rate method were used to study the effect of calcium stearate on the thermal degradation of PVC. The results show that the thermal decomposition process of calcium stearate/PVC composite includes two stages, which occur at 361–402 ​°C and 552–585 ​°C, respectively. The apparent activation energy of the 1st stage calculated by Kissinger, Starink, Friedman and Flynn-Wall-Ozawa method is 93.22, 87.18, 94.81 and 92.13 ​kJ ​mol−1, respectively. The decomposition reaction in the 1st stage is controlled by the F1 mechanism, of which differential and integral equation is f(α) ​= ​1/(2α), g(α) ​= ​α2, respectively. This work provides a way to study the effect of heat stabilizers on the thermal stability of PVC.

Keywords

• Calcium stearate
• PVC
• Thermal degradation kinetics
• Polymeric composites
• Thermal analysis