Thermal degradation of polyacrylonitrile, polybutadiene, and copolymers of butadiene with acrylonitrile and styrene

Polybutadiene and a co poly mer consisting of 76.5 percent butadiene and 23 .5 percent of styrene were investigated as to t he rates of t heir t hermal degradation . The ra tes for polybu tadiene indicated an act iv:ttio n energy of 60 kilocalories per mole. Th e copolym er had very high init ial rates of degradation, followed b y a rapid cirop, so t hat it wa~ not possible to obtain a reliab le activation e nergy.