This article summarizes our experience after more than 25 years‘ work in the field of thermooxidative stability of materials. Theory for kinetic description of induction periods of polymer oxidation is outlined. It is based on the isoconversional methods where the temperature function is expressed as the Berthelot–Hood equation. It is demonstrated here that this equation provides the best approximation of the apparent rate constant as well as the best lifetime extrapolations to application temperatures. A method of extrapolation based on the temperature function derived in our laboratory is presented as well. Dimensionless criteria have been listed enabling deeper and more synoptical analysis of the results of high‐temperature thermooxidation tests. The theory is applicable for the lifetime estimation of the artifacts made of plastics and of the materials employed in the conservation of plastic artifacts. The stability assessments and predictions are experimentally studied by thermoanalytical methods. Applications of the theory for the study of thermooxidation of various polymer systems are reviewed. There are reviewed also applications for the study of artifacts. The theory outlined can be applied not only for polymers, but also for thermooxidation of other organic materials in condensed phase, and for other processes exhibiting the induction period.
Simon et al. (Sun,) studied this question.