Thermal Degradation of Polystyrene in Nanoconfined Environments

摘要

TGA-FTIR measurements detect the formation of unusually large amounts of α-methylstyrenein the degradation products of both intercalated and exfoliated polystyrene/montmorillonite (PS/MMT)nanocomposites. The molecular origins of the process leading to the formation of this product areexplained by the nanoconfinement effect of MMT on the PS chains. The nanoconfinement altersdramatically the dynamics of the PS chains. Using advanced multifrequency TMDSC (TOPEM? byMettler Toledo), we attempt to evaluate the degree of nanoconfinement through the estimates of theactivation energy (Ea) of the glass transition as well as of the size of cooperative rearranging region(VCRR). The preliminary results support that the high yield of α-methylstyrene is correlated with thesignificant degree of nanoconfinement as evidenced by the increased value of Ea.