TY - JOUR
TI - Pyrolysis kinetics and thermal decomposition behavior of polycarbonate - a TGA-FTIR study
AU - Apaydin-Varol Esin
AU - Polat Sevgi
AU - Putun Ayse Eren
JN - Thermal Science
PY - 2014
VL - 18
IS - 3
SP - 833
EP - 842
PT - Article
AB - This study covers the thermal degradation of polycarbonate by means of  Thermogravimetric Analyzer coupled with Fourier transform infrared  spectrometer (TGA-FTIR). Thermogravimetric analysis of polycarbonate was  carried out at four different heating rates of 5, 10, 15, and 20°C per  minute from 25°C to 1000°C under nitrogen atmosphere. The results indicated  that polycarbonate was decomposed in the temperature range of 425-600°C. The  kinetic parameters, such as activation energy, pre-exponential factor and  reaction order were determined using five different kinetic models; namely  Coast-Redfern, Friedman, Kissinger, Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO), and  Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS). Overall decomposition reaction order was  determined by Coats-Redfern method as 1.5. Average activation energy was  calculated as 150.42, 230.76, 216.97, and 218.56 kJ/mol by using Kissinger,  Friedman, FWO, and KAS models, respectively. Furthermore, the main gases  released during the pyrolysis of polycarbonate were determined as CO2, CH4,  CO, H2O, and other lower molecular weight hydrocarbons such as aldehydes,  ketones and carbonyls by using thermogravimetric analyzer coupled with  Fourier transform infrared spectrometer.