Thermo-oxidative degradation kinetics of grafted polypropylene films

The thermo-oxidative stability and degradation behavior of polypropylene (PP) and grafted PP have been investigated using thermogravimetric analysis. Three multiple heating rate methods, namely Kissinger, Kim-Park and Flynn-Wall have been used to calculate the activation energy as a function of the extent of degradation. The four different heating rates (5, 10, 15 and 20 degrees C/min) were maintained in the temperature range of 30-550 degrees C during the analysis. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy has confirmed the presence of carboxylic group on the surface of grafted PP films. Differential scanning calorimetry has shown that the crystallinity decreased with the increase in grafting. In the air atmosphere, the thermo-oxidative degradation occurs via a pathway that involves decomposition of polymer peroxide. Thermo-oxidative stability of grafted PP films is found to increase with an increase in the degree of grafting (DG). The degradation kinetic parameters were used to predict the lifetime of PP and grafted PP films. The activation energy and lifetime of grafted PP films increased with an increase in the DG. The lifetime of PP and grafted PP decreased with an increase in degradation temperature.