The thermoanalytical, infrared and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometric sifting of poly (methyl methacrylate) in the presence of phosphorus tribromide

Muhammad Arshad, Khalid Masud, Muhammad Arif, Saeed-ur Rehman, Jamshed H. Zaidi, Muhammad Arif, Aamer Saeed, Tariq Yasin

.

DOI: 10.4236/ns.2010.24039                

Abstract

The behaviour of poly(methyl methacrylate) was examined in the presence of phosphorus tri-bromide (PBr3) with varying concentrations. Films were cast from common solvent and subjected to TG, DTA, DTG, IR and Py-GC-MS for evaluating the degradation routes. Despite early decomposition of the blends, certain tempera-ture zones were identified for stabilization of the system. New products were found and mecha-nisms of their formation were proposed. Pyro-lysis of the blends was also carried out at dif-ferent temperatures to ascertain the nature of interaction between the constituents of the system.

Keywords

PMMA; PBr3; Thermoanalytical Study; IR Spectroscopy; GC-MS Investigation

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	Laachachi, A., Cochez, M., Ferriol, M., Leroy, E., Lopez, C.M. and Oget, N. (2004) Influence of Sb2O3 particles as filler on the thermal stability and flammability properties of poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). Polymer Deg-radation and Stability, 85(1), 641-646.
[2]	Ebdon, J.R., Hunt, B.J. and Joseph, P. (2004) Thermal degradation and flammability characteristics of some polystyrenes and poly (methyl methacrylate) chemically modified with silicon-containing groups. Polymer Deg-radation and Stability, 83(1), 181-185.
[3]	Gentilhomme, A., Cochez, M., Ferriol, M., Oget, N. and Mieloszynski, J.L. (2003) Thermal degradation of methyl methacrylate polymers functionalized by phosphorus  containing molecules – II: Initial flame retardance and mechanistic studies. Polymer Degradation and Stability, 82(2), 347-355.
[4]	Price, D., Pyrah, K., Hull, T.R., Milnes, G.J., Ebdon, J.R., Hunt, B.J. and Joseph P. (2002) Flame retardance of poly (methyl methacrylate) modified with phosphorus  con-taining compounds. Polymer Degradation and Stability, 77(2), 227-233.
[5]	Price, D., Pyrah, K., Hull, T.R., Milnes, G.J., Ebdon, J.R., Hunt, B.J., Joseph, P. and Konkel, C.S. (2001) Flame re-tarding poly (methyl methacrylate) with phosphorous  containing compounds: Comparison of an additive with a reactive approach. Polymer Degradation and Stability, 74(3), 441-447.
[6]	Ebdon, J.R., Price, D., Hunt, B.J., Joseph, P., Gao, F., Milnes, G.J. and Cunliffe, L.K. (2000) Flame retardance in some polystyrene and poly (methyl methacrylate) with covalently bound phosphorus – containing groups: Initial screening experiments and some laser pyrolysis mecha-nistic studies. Polymer Degradation and Stability, 69(3), 267-277.
[7]	Chang, T.C. and Wu, K.H. (1997) The effect of silicon and phosphorus on the thermo-oxidative degradation of poly (methyl methacrylate). Polymer Degradation and Stability, 57(4), 325-330.
[8]	Nair, C.P.R., Clouet, G. and Guilbert, Y. (1989) Flame and thermal resistance of phosphorous – functionalized poly (methyl methacrylate) and polystyrene. Polymer Degradation and Stability, 26(4), 305-331.
[9]	Chandrasiri, J.A. and Wilkie, C.A. (1994) Thermal deg-radation of poly (methyl methacrylate) in the presence of tin (IV) chloride and tetraphenyltin. Polymer Degrada-tion and Stability, 45(1), 91-96.
[10]	Chandrasiri, J.A., Roberts, D.E. and Wilkie, C.A. (1994) The effect of some transition metal chlorides on the thermal degradation of poly (methyl methacrylate): A study using TGA–FTIR spectrometry. Polymer Degrada-tion and Stability, 45(1), 97-101.
[11]	McNeill, I.C. and McGuiness, R.C. (1984) The effect of zinc bromide on the thermal degradation of poly (methyl methacrylate): Part I – Thermal analysis studies and gen-eral nature of the interaction. Polymer Degradation and Stability, 9(3), 167-183.
[12]	McNeill, I.C. and McGuiness, R.C. (1984) The effect of zinc bromide on the thermal degradation of poly (methyl methacrylate): Part 2 – Reaction products, structural changes and degradation mechanism. Polymer Degrada-tion and Stability, 9(4), 209-224.
[13]	Song, J., Fischer, C. H. and Schnabel, W. (1992) Thermal oxidative degradation of poly (methyl methacrylate). Polymer Degradation and Stability, 36(3), 261-266.
[14]	Wochnowski, C., Eldin, M. A. S. and Metev S. (2005) UV-laser-assisted degradation of poly (methyl methacry-late). Polymer Degradation and Stability, 89(2), 252-264.
[15]	Zulfiqar, S., Paracha, A. and Masud, K. (1996) The thermal degradation of poly (allyl methacrylate). Poly-mer Degradation and Stability, 52(1), 89-93.
[16]	Zulfiqar, S., Masud, K., Siddique, B. and Paracha, A. (1996) Thermal degradation of phenyl methacrylate-sty- rene copolymers. Polymer Degradation and Stability, 52(3), 293-299.
[17]	Zulfiqar, S., Masud, K., Piracha, A. and McNeill, I.C. (1997) Thermal degradation of allyl methacrylate-methyl methacrylate copolymers. Polymer Degradation and Sta-bility, 55(3), 257-263.
[18]	Zulfiqar, S. and Masud, K. (2000) Thermal degradation of blends of allyl methacrylate-methyl methacrylate co-polymers with aluminum ethoxide. Polymer Degradation and Stability, 70(2), 229-236.
[19]	Zulfiqar, S., Masud, K. and Ameer, Q. (2002) Thermal degradation of blends of phenyl methacrylate-styrene copolymers with aluminum ethoxide. Polymer Degrada-tion and Stability, 77(3), 457-464.
[20]	Zulfiqar, S. and Masud, K. (2002) Thermal degradation of blends of allyl methacrylate-methyl methacrylate co-polymers with aluminum isopropoxide. Polymer Degra-dation and Stability, 78(2), 305-313.
[21]	Zulfiqar, S., Masud, K. and Ameer, Q. (2003) Thermal degradation behavior of blends of phenyl methacry-late-styrene copolymers with aluminum isopropoxide. Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry, 73(3), 877-886.
[22]	Arshad, M., Masud, K., Arif, M., Rehman, S., Chohan, Z.H., Arif, M., Qureshi, A.H., Saeed, A., Salma, U. and Awan, M.S. (2008) A comparative study of roles played by aluminum tribromide and aluminum acety-lacetonate on the thermal degradation of PMMA by si-multaneous thermoanalytical techniques. The Nucleus, 45(1-2), 63-72.
[23]	Arshad, M., Masud, K., Arif, M., Rehman, S., Arif, M., Zaidi, J.H., Chohan, Z.H., Saeed, A. and Qureshi, A.H. (2009) The effect of AlBr3 additive on the thermal deg-radation of PMMA: A study using TG–DTA–DTG, IR and Py–GC–MS techniques. Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry, 96(3), 873-881.
[24]	Riddick, J.A., Bunger, W.B. and Sakano, T.K. (1986) Organic solvents – physical properties and methods of purification. John-Wiley and Sons, New York.
[25]	Furniss, B.S. and Vogel, A.I. (1978) Vogel’s textbook of practical organic chemistry. Longman Group, London, 458-459.
[26]	Grassie, N., McNeill, I.C. and Cooke, I. (1968) Thermal degradation of polymer mixtures. I. Degradation of poly-styrene-poly (methyl methacrylate) mixtures and a com-parison with the degradation of styrene-methyl metha- crylate copolymers. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 12, 831-837.
[27]	Horowitz, H. H. and Metzger, G. A. (1963) New analysis of thermogravimetric traces. Analytical Chemistry, 35, 1464-1468.
[28]	Flammability Test. UL94, ASTM D 635.
[29]	Sain, M., Park, S.H., Suhara, F. and Law, S. (2004) Flame retardant and mechanical properties of natural fi-bre-PP composites containing magnesium hydroxide. Polymer Degradation and Stability, 83(2), 363-367.
[30]	Smith, A.L. (1979) Applied infrared spectroscopy fun-damentals, techniques and analytical problem-solving. John Wiley and Sons, A Wiley-Interscience Publication, New York, 297&308.
[31]	Sadtler Research Laboratories (1974) The Sadtler Stan-dard Spectra. PA 5, Philadelphia.
[32]	Robinson, J.W. (1974) CRC Handbook of spectroscopy. CRC Press, Inc., USA, 2.
[33]	Szymanski, H.A. and Erikson, R. E. (1970) Infrared band handbook. 2nd Edition, IFI/Plenum, New York, 1-2.