DSC STUDY OF STABILIZATION REACTIONS IN POLY(ACRYLO-NITRILE-co-ITACONIC ACID) WITH PEAK-RESOLVING METHOD

The effect of itaconic acid (IA) content and heating rate on the stabilization reactions in poly(acrylonitrile-co-itaconic acid) (P(AN-co-IA)) was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) with peak-resolving method. Increasing IA content was effective in decreasing the initial temperature and the heat evolved, and found to enhance oxidative reactions to some extent. While, promoting heating rate resulted in a shift of the exotherm to a higher temperature and a more rapid liberation of heat. The percentage of area of the first exothermic peak increased with increasing heating rate, which would be attributed to the enhancement of the free radical cyclization reactions.