Effect of tetralin on the degradation of polymer in solution
- Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States)
The thermolytic degradation of polymer in presence of a hydrogen donor is interesting as a model system for fundamental studies of fuel and feedstock processing. The effect of a hydrogen-donor solvent (tetralin) on the thermal degradation of poly(styrene-allyl alcohol) in liquid solution was investigated in a steady-state flow reactor at 1000 psig (6.8 MPa), at various tetralin concentrations (0-50%), polymer concentrations (1-4g/L), and temperatures (130-200{degrees}C). The molecular weight distributions of the effluent at each condition were examined as a function of residence time by gel permeation chromatography. In the presence of tetralin, the polymer degrades by random chain scission, and by depolymerization to specific low molecular weight compounds. No reaction was observed in the solvent 1-butanol in the absence of tetralin. The experimental data were interpreted with a first-order rate expression in polymer concentration based on continuous mixture kinetics, and rate coefficients were determined for the specific and random degradation processes. Activation energies were in the range of 5-10 kcal/mol for specific degradation and 33 kcal/mol for the random degradation process. A plot of rate coefficients versus tetralin concentration indicates a first-order rate at low tetralin concentrations and a zero-order dependence at high tetralin concentrations.
- OSTI ID:
- 214764
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-950801--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Effect of tetralin on the degradation of polymer in solution
Effect of tetralin on the degradation of polymer in solution