High-resolution thermogravimetry of liquid crystalline copoly(p-oxybenzoate–ethylene terephthalate–m-oxybenzoate)

Thermotropic liquid crystalline terpolymers consisting of three units of p-oxybenzoate (B), ethylene terephthalate (E), and m-oxybenzoate (M), were investigated through high-resolution thermogravimetry to evaluate their stability and kinetic parameters of thermal degradation in nitrogen and air. Overall activation energy data of the first major decomposition was calculated through three calculating methods. Thermal degradation occurs in three major steps in both nitrogen and air. Three kinds of degradation temperatures (T_d, T_m1, T_m2) are slightly higher and the first maximum weight-loss rates are slightly lower in nitrogen than in air, suggesting a higher thermostability in nitrogen. The thermal degradation temperatures range from 450 to 457°C in nitrogen and 441 to 447°C in air and increase with increasing B-unit content at a fixed M-unit content of 5 mol %. The temperatures at the first maximum weight loss rate range from 452 to 466°C in nitrogen and 444 to 449°C in air and increase slightly with an increase in B-unit content. The first and second maximum weight-loss rates are maintained at almost 9.2–10.8 and 4.0–6.1%/min in nitrogen (11.2–12.0 and 3.9–4.2%/min in air) and vary slightly with copolymer composition. The residues after the first major step of degradation are predicted on the basis of the complete exclusion of ester and ethylene groups and hydrogen atoms and compared with those observed experimentally. The char yields at 500°C in both nitrogen and air are larger than 42.6 wt % and increase with increasing B-unit content. However, the char yields at 800°C in nitrogen and air are different. The activation energy and ln(pre-exponential factor) for the first major decomposition are slightly higher in nitrogen than in air and increase with an increase in B-unit content at a given M-unit content of 5 mol %. There is no regular variation in the decomposition order with the variation of copolymer composition and testing atmosphere. The activation energy, decomposition order, and ln(pre-exponential factor) of the thermal degradation for the terpolymers are located in the ranges of 212–263 kJ mol⁻¹, 2.4–3.5, 33–41 min⁻¹, respectively. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 73: 2911–2919, 1999