Thermogravimetric analysis of the polymer acrylate-vinyl ether mixture cured by radiation

An experiment on thermal stability of the polymer acrylate-vinyl ether mixture cured by radiation have been done using thermogravimetric analysis. Three kinds of acrylic oligomers i.e., epoxy acrylate, urethane acrylate, and polypropylene glycol diacrylate, and vinyl ether monomers i.e., triethylene glycol divinyl ether (DVE-3), 1,4-cyclohexane dimethanol divinyl ether (CHVE), and butanediol monovinyl ether (HBVE) were used in the experiment. Reaction was taken via radical and cationic polymerisation. In case of cationic polymerisation, diphenyliodonium hexafluorophosphate fotoinisiator was used in the formulation. Thermogravimetric analysis was conducted in a nitrogen atmosphere at a flow rate of 40 ml/minute with a constant heating rate 10 oC and evaluation range were done from 25 to 500 oC. The results of thermogravimetric analysis showed that acrylate and DVE-3 mixture produced the polymer films with higher thermal stability than the mixture of acrylate with CHVE or HBVE. The composition of acrylate-vinyl ether mixture and degree of unsaturation of vinyl ether monomers influenced the thermal stability of polymer. The mixture of epoxy acrylate-vinyl ether and polypropylene glycol diacrylate-vinyl ether have 1 initial decomposition temperature whereas the urethane acrylate-vinyl ether mixture has 2 initial decomposition temperatures. (authors)