Thermal volatilization analysis: A new method for the characterization of polymers and the study of polymer degradation

In a continuously evacuated system in which volatile products are passing from a heated sample to the cold surface of a trap some distance away, a small pressure will develop which varies with the rate of volatilization of the sample. If this pressure (measured by Pirani gage) is recorded as the sample temperature is increased in a linear manner, a TVA thermogram showing one or more peaks is obtained. TVA thermograms for a number of polymers and copolymers are presented and briefly discussed. The technique has some advantages over TGA for characterizing polymers or studying qualitative aspects of polymer degradation.