Thermal degradation and lifetime estimation of poly(ether imide)/carbon fiber composites

The thermal decomposition behavior of poly(ether imide) (PEI)/carbon fiber composites used in aeronautical field was studied using thermogravimetric analysis in an inert atmosphere, at several heating rates between 2 and 10°C min −1 . The activation energies ( E a ) were determined by Flynn–Wall–Ozawa (FWO) and Kissinger methods, and the preexponential factor ( A) was calculated by the FWO method. The obtained data were used in order to predict the thermal lifetime of the material under the established temperature range and 5% mass loss criterion. Overall, the results represented PEI’s good thermal stability. Furthermore, it was concluded that the material can be safely applied for aeronautical use.