Thermal behavior of acrylonitrile carboxylic acid copolymers

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and copolymer of acrylonitrile–vinyl acids prepared by solution polymerization technique have been characterized by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) (under dynamic as well as isothermal conditions), themograviemetric analysis (TGA), and on‐line DSC‐FTIR spectroscopy. The DSC of copolymers was carried out at 5°C/min in nitrogen and air. In nitrogen atmosphere the DSC exotherm show a very sharp peak, whereas, in air atmosphere DSC exotherm is broad, and starts at a much lower temperature compared to what is observed in nitrogen atmosphere. The initiation temperature of PAN homopolymer is higher than that for the copolymers. For instance, the initiation temperature of PAN in air is 244°C, whereas, the onset of exothermic reaction is in the range of 172 to 218°C for acrylonitrile–vinyl acid copolymers. As the vinyl acid content increases the ΔH value reduces. The ΔH value of PAN in air was 7025 J/g, whereas, for P(AN‐AA) with 5.51 mol % of acid it was 3798 J/g. As the content of acrylic acid comonomer is increased to 17.51 mol % the value of ΔH decreases further to 1636 J/g. The same trend was observed with MAA and IA as well. DSC‐FTIR studies depict various chemical changes taking place during heat treatment of these copolymers. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 685–698, 2003     

The influence of oxygen on the chemical reactions during stabilization of pan as carbon fiber precursor

DTA measurements were used for studies of the kinetics of the cyclization and oxidation of PAN during the thermal treatment in air and nitrogen. The cyclization is a first order reaction with an activation energy of about 30 kcal/mole in nitrogen and about 34 kcal/mole in air. For copolymer PAN (5% methylacrylate) lower activation energies were found. Oxygen promotes the initiation of the cyclization but does not catalyze the cyclization reaction itself. The sequence of cyclization and oxidation reactions is discussed in detail.     

Thermal properties of acrylonitrile/itaconic acid polymers in oxidative and nonoxidative atmospheres

Thermal stabilization of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers is an indispensable process in the manufacture of carbon fibers. The effects of acidic comonomers on the thermal properties of PAN have attracted much attention because of their importance in the fibers spinning and heat treatment process. In this study, oxidative and nonoxidative atmospheres are adopted in differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) test to disclose the key effects of oxygen on the thermal properties of PAN/itaconic acid (IA) polymers. The DSC results under oxidative atmosphere are consistence to the reports by previous researchers: the exothermic curves of copolymers containing 0.6 wt % and 1.0 wt % IA exhibit lower initiation temperature and more broaden shapes than that of PAN homopolymer, indicating that IA facilitates both cyclization and oxidation reactions. However, copolymers containing the same content of IA shows no apparent improving effect on the thermal properties under inert atmosphere, which has not been mentioned in the published literature. TGA indicates that oxygen remarkably increases the thermal stability of AN/IA copolymers structure, and will bring high carbon yield in the eventual carbon fibers. The influential mechanisms of oxidative and nonoxidative atmospheres on thermal stabilization reactions of PAN were discussed. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Polyacrylonitrile/acrylamide‐based carbon fibers prepared using a solvent‐free coagulation process: Fiber properties and its structure evolution during stabilization and carbonization

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/acrylamide (AM) fibers were fabricated via dry‐jet wet spinning process using a solvent‐free coagulation bath. The effects of AM loading as comonomer on the mechanical and thermal properties of PAN‐based carbon fiber have been studied. The thermal stability and mechanical stability of the fibers were characterized using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and tensile testing. Fibers fabricated from PAN with 5 wt% AM had the highest Young Modulus at 5.54 GPa. It also showed better exothermic trend process with broader exothermic peak and lower initiation stabilization temperature compared with homopolymer PAN. The elemental composition and chemical structure evolution of the fibers during the heat treatment processes were evaluated by elemental analyzer and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. Crystal structure evolution of the fibers during the heat treatment process was elucidated by X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The elemental analyzer, XRD and FTIR results revealed that pyrolysis process used had successfully transformed PAN/AM fibers produced from solvent free coagulation bath into carbon fibers that were comparable with the conventional coagulation bath. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2012. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Significant thermal property and hydrogen bonding strength increase in poly(vinylphenol-co-vinylpyrrolidone) copolymer

A series of poly(vinylphenol-co-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVPh-co-PVP) copolymers were prepared by free radical copolymerization of acetoxystyrene with vinylpyrrolidone (PAS-co-PVP), followed by selective removal of the acetyl protective group. These copolymers were investigated by solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and thermal gravimetric analyzer (TGA) to compare with previous results on differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier-Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses. The spin-lattice relaxation time in the rotating frame (T_1ρ(H)) of the PVPh-co-PVP is greater than the corresponding PVPh/PVP blend, indicating that the polymer mobility is more restricted and high rigid character of the former. At the same time, the thermal decomposition temperature of homopolymer, copolymer and polymer blend is the order of PVPh-co-PVP copolymer>PVPh/PVP blend>pure PVP homopolymer>PAS-co-PVP copolymer and this order is consistent with previous studies on DSC, FTIR and NMR analyses. In order to understand the mechanism of significant glass transition temperature increase of the PVPh-co-PVP copolymer, the degree of hydrolysis was controlled by varying time of reaction of the PAS-co-PVP copolymer.     

Thermal crosslinking behavior of poly (aryl ether ketone) copolymers containing naphthalene moieties

A series of poly[(ether ether ketone)‐co‐(ether naphthalene ether ketone)] (P(EEK‐co‐ENEK)) copolymers were heated under a variety of conditions. The thermal crosslinking behavior was monitored by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), electron spin resonance (ESR) and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD). The results indicate that under a non‐oxidative environment such as nitrogen P(EEK‐co‐ENEK) is more stable, while under oxidative conditions a crosslinking reaction takes place that causes a reduction in the crystallizability of the copolymers, and an increase in the concentration of free radicals on the copolymer. ESR results suggest that the crosslinking reaction proceeds via free radicals. Subsequently two kinds of free radicals were characterized: one is an RO^? type free radical and the other is a naphthalene ring free radical. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effect of an acidic comonomer on thermooxidative stabilization of polyacrylonitrile

This paper presents a study of the reactions involved in stabilization of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) through the effect of various experimental variables on the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) exotherm and thermogravimetric measurements coupled with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, i.e., DSC-FTIR and TG-FTIR. The experimental variables used were the environment of heat treatment (viz. oxidative and inert) and in corporation of an acidic comonomer (viz. itaconic acid). The essential findings include the broadening of the exotherm in an air atmosphere over that in a nitrogen (i.e., inert) atmosphere. This broadening of the exotherm was further enhanced in the presence of the acidic comonomer. Furthermore, the exotherm revealed a doublet character with greater separation of the peaks in case of the copolymer than the homopolymer. Possible explanations of these observations are discussed. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Effect of boric acid on the stabilization of poly(acrylonitrile-co-itaconic acid)

The effect of boric acid on the stabilization of poly(acrylonitrile-co-itaconic acid) (P(AN-co-IA)) was studied in detail by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) incorporating with thermogravimetry (TG) in air and nitrogen. In nitrogen atmosphere the ionic cyclization of the doped P(AN-co-IA) copolymer was badly retarded by boric acid, however, the free radical cyclization was little influenced. In air atmosphere boric acid was found to weaken the first exothermic peak corresponding to dehydrogenation and cyclization reactions, and enhance the second exothermic peak corresponding to the oxidative reactions resulting in a great expansion of the heat evolved. The activation energy of stabilization was calculated with Kissinger method, the results indicated that boric acid seemed to be effective to reduce the activation energy. TG studies showed that boric acid could reduce the weight loss during stabilization, which could be attributed to the crosslinking of polymer chains caused by the reaction between boric acid and the hydroxyl groups.     

UV‐induced crosslinking and cyclization of solution‐cast polyacrylonitrile copolymer

An alternative, rapid stabilization route for polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursors is reported based on UV‐induced crosslinking and cyclization reactions. Two mechanisms of photoinitiation were investigated: homolytic cleavage and hydrogen abstraction. Solution‐cast PAN copolymer samples were irradiated for different durations (100, 300, and 600 s) and temperatures (～65 and 100°C, below and above glass transition temperature respectively). FTIR spectra show the formation of carbon–oxygen, carbon–nitrogen, and carbon–carbon double bonds (1450–1700 cm^?1 region) attributed to the development of cyclized structure. Conversion indices estimated from the FTIR spectra indicate samples containing hydrogen abstraction photoinitiator show higher extents of cyclization among the three main set of samples. This observation was also confirmed by higher gel percentages measured on the same set of samples. FTIR conversion indices of samples UV‐treated above glass transition temperature were higher compared with that for the same specimens UV‐treated below glass transition temperature. DSC results show that samples containing hydrogen abstraction photoinitiator enable a higher extent of post‐UV thermal cyclization. FTIR spectra of the UV treated samples were compared with conventional thermal stabilized specimens. This comparison confirms that the addition of 1 wt % photoinitiator to PAN followed by 5 min of UV treatment increases the rate of the cyclization reaction and reduces the thermal oxidation time by over an hour, which could significantly reduce the conventional stabilization time by half. These results indicate the potential for an energy‐efficient, cost‐effective route for producing carbon fibers. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

DSC法研究聚丙烯腈纤维的环化反应动力学

通过差示扫描量热(DSC)法研究了聚丙烯腈(PAN)纤维的热性能及其在不同升温速率下的环化反应动力学。结果表明:PAN纤维在氮气气氛中只发生环化反应,DSC曲线的放热峰尖而窄。根据Kissinger法得出其活化能为66.86 kJ/mol,反应级数为1。由DSC曲线及外推法得到升温速率为0时,其放热峰峰值为256.8℃。随着稳定化时间的增加,PAN纤维的环化度增大,纤维稳定化程度提高。     

氨化改性对IA-AN聚合及PAN原丝热性能的影响

研究了衣康酸和丙烯腈共聚时NH3的加入对聚合反应速率的影响 ,并借助DSC和TG等测试方法分析了氨化处理对聚丙烯腈原丝热性能的影响。结果表明 :单体浓度最好控制在 2 2 %左右 ,IA氨化改性后 ,与AN的共聚反应速率提高 ,纺丝液和原丝的亲水性能明显增加 ,NH3改性条件下原丝的热性能与改性前相差不大 ,尚不足以形成双峰     

Block copolymer grafted-silica particles: a core/double shell hybrid inorganic/organic material

Hybrid inorganic/organic materials consisting of a poly(n-butyl acrylate)-b-poly(styrene) diblock copolymer anchored to silica particles were synthesized via ‘grafting from’ technique using a controlled/living free radical polymerization named stable free radical polymerization. XPS and FTIR analysis were used to control the effectiveness of the chemical modification of the silica particles. Thermal characterizations were performed by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and by differential scattering calorimetry (DSC). The TGA permitted the determination of the quantity of grafted polymer and thus the grafting density; DSC was used to study the influence of the silica and blocks of the copolymer on their thermal behaviors. The glass transition temperature of the grafted copolymers was compared to these of free polymers or copolymers homologues.     

Synthesis and properties of photoluminescent copolymer containing 1,3,4‐oxadiazole and carbazole rings

The luminescent copolymer 2‐phenyl‐5‐[3′‐(methacrylamido)phenyl]‐1,3,4‐oxadiazole and vinylcarbazole (PMAPO–VCZ), combining hole‐facilitating moiety, carbazole ring, and electron‐facilitating moiety, 1,3,4‐oxadiazole, as side groups, was synthesized by a radical polymerization of the olefinic monomer PMAPO and VCZ. For comparison, the homopolymer P‐PMAPO was also synthesized by similar procedures. The solubility, thermal, and optical properties of the copolymers were investigated. The synthesized copolymer was soluble in common organic solvents but the homopolymer of PMAPO was dissolved only by hot THF. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry measurements showed that the copolymer and homopolymer exhibit good thermal stability up to 360 and 340°C with glass‐transition temperatures higher than 105 and 65°C, respectively. The photoluminescence properties were investigated. The results showed that the copolymer emits blue and blue‐green light and the emission spectra of monomer and polymers exhibit obvious solvent effect. With the increase of polarity of solvents, the fluorescence spectra distinctly change, appearing with a red shift at room temperature. The concentration‐dependent emission spectra change significantly with the increase of concentration. In addition, when N,N‐dimethylaniline (DMA) was gradually added to the solution of copolymers, the emission intensity of fluorescence was dramatically increased. However, when the concentration of DMA was increased beyond a certain level, the emission intensity of fluorescence gradually decreased. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 2777–2783, 2004     

Preparation of antimicrobial polyacrylonitrile fibers: Blending with polyacrylonitrile-co-3-allyl-5,5-dimethylhydantoin

Summary Polyacrylonitrile-co-3-allyl-5,5-dimethylhydantoin (Cop7-1) was prepared by a free radical polymerization process. The copolymer was blended with polyacrylonitrile (PAN) in a NaSCN aqueous solution, and the mixture was employed as a spinning solution. Rheological behavior of the spinning solution was studied. The PAN/Cop7-1 blend fibers were prepared through a two-stage wet spinning process. Tensile strengths of the blend fibers were lightly lower, but breaking elongations were higher than regular PAN fibers. Moisture regain and antistatic properties of the blend fibers were improved, while the thermal stability of the blend fibers decreased slightly. However, after treatment with 1% regular chlorine bleach, the blend fibers showed good antibacterial ability.     

Surface modification of acrylonitrile copolymer membranes by grafting acrylamide. I. Initiation by ceric ions

Surface modification of membranes of an acrylonitrile copolymer (PAN) containing 5.5% methyl methacrylate (MMA) and 4.0% sodium methylpropylenesulfonate by grafting acrylamide (AAm) with cetric ammonium nitrate as initiator in the aqueous medium has been studied. Results showed that the extent of grafting was varied with some parameters, such as dimethyl formamide and Tween-20 amount in the reaction solution, concentration of AAm, and reaction time. The grafted copolymer was verified by infrared spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Both of these methods also showed that the ester group of MMA unit on the surface of PAN membranes may be partially hydrolyzed into carboxyl group in the copolymerization condition. Surface and pore structures of PAN membranes after grafting were viewed under a scanning electron microscope (SEM). From SEM photos we know that AAm homopolymer branches were grafted onto the surface of the membrane and the morphology of membrane did not change. Results of contact angle of isooctane on the membrane under water showed that the wettability of the modified membrane was improved. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 66: 1521–1529, 1997     

聚丙烯腈纤维烯胺结构的形成及其氧化特性的研究

将聚丙烯腈(PAN)纤维在惰性气氛下进行热处理,通过傅里叶红外光谱(FT-IR)、1 3C固体核磁共振(13C-NMR)、差示扫描量热(DSC)等方法研究了PAN纤维中烯胺结构的形成及其氧化特性。结果表明:惰性气氛下PAN纤维在热处理过程中氰基发生键断裂形成亚胺结构,并在温度达到190℃时开始向烯胺结构转变;随着热稳定化过程的进行,亚胺结构增加到一定程度后呈现下降趋势,而烯胺结构不断增加;热处理温度越高,亚胺结构向烯胺结构转变的越多且速率越快;将在惰性气氛下经不同温度热处理得到的PAN纤维进行空气气氛下的DSC分析,发现氧化反应的放热量与烯胺结构含量存在较好的线性关系,表明烯胺结构比其他特征结构更容易发生氧化反应。     

Thermal properties of polyacrylonitrile copolymers having various chemical compositions

Conclusions 1. The thermal oxidative degradation of PAN fibres having an IA content from 1.2 to 6.4% in the copolymer has been studied by the DTA method.2. Increasing the IA content of the copolymer leads to a shift of the exothermic effects of the cyclization reaction into the lower temperature region, and also to a decrease in the thermally effect from thermal oxidation, which affords a possibility of increasing the efficiency of processes of heat treatment of PAN in the preparation of carbon fibres and of reducing heat expenditures.NITs Uglekhimvolokno (Mytishchi). Translated from Khimicheskie Volokna, No. 5, pp. 25–27, September–October, 1993.     

A novel benzoxazine monomer with methacrylate functionality and its thermally curable (co)polymers

Benzoxazine monomer with methacrylate functionality, namely 2-(2-(2H-benzo[e][1,3]oxazin-3(4H)-yl)ethoxy) ethyl methacrylate (BEM) was synthesized by simple esterification reaction of hydroxyl containing benzoxazine (B–OH) with methacryloyl chloride, and characterized. BEM was then copolymerized with styrene in 1:4 mol ratio by free radical polymerization using 2,2′-azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) as initiator. The structure, chemical composition, and molecular weight characteristics of the resulting copolymer were confirmed by FT-IR, ¹H-NMR spectroscopy, and GPC, respectively. The curing behavior and thermal properties of both monomer and copolymer were also studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA).     

Mass DSC/TG and IR ascertained structure and color change of polyacrylonitrile fibers in air/nitrogen during thermal stabilization

The structure evolution was studied by mass spectrum (MS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry (TG), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The results indicated that the CN and CC groups appeared gradually with the increase of the temperature in air and nitrogen. The CO groups appeared because of oxidative reaction in air. The CN, CC and CO groups were all chromophores. The effect of conjugated CN and CC on the absorption of the visible light was shifted to longer wavelengths and indicated π‐π* transition. There was a strong bathochromic effect as the number of CC bonds were increased. The effect of CO and –NH₂ on the absorption of the visible light was shifted to longer wavelengths and indicated n‐π* transition. Oxygen could facilitate chemical reactions in air. Hence, the color of PAN in air was deeper than in nitrogen at the same temperature. The structural change of PAN in air was faster and more complex than in nitrogen. PAN fibers treated in air turned black after 230°C. However, PAN fibers turned black at 350°C in nitrogen. The MS and FTIR indicated that cyclization occurred before dehydrogenation during stabilization in air and nitrogen. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Synthesis and properties of polyvinyl chloride-co-trimethylolpropane monoallylether)

A thermally stable, high molecular weight copolymer of vinyl chloride and trimethylolpropane monoallylether (PVC-co-TMPME) has been synthesized via the suspension polymerization process. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) characterization of the copolymer shows the presence of TMPME in the saturated form, indicative of the TMPME reaction. Characterization by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) shows that the glass transition temperature of the TMPME copolymer is similar to that of the homopolymer, and to that of a 5% vinyl acetate (PVC-co-VA) copolymer. Characterization of plasticized polymers by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) shows that both PVC-co-TMPME and PVC-co-VA have lower modulae than the corresponding homopolymer, as well as lower distortion temperatures, as shown by creep compliance master curves. These data indicate that PVC-co-TMPME should share similar process and end-use property characteristics with conventional PVC copolymers without adversely affecting thermal stability. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 66: 1603–1612, 1997