A Comparative Study of the Thermal Stability and Mechanism of Degradation of Poly(arylene sulphones)

Three poly(arylene sulphones) have been studied by thermogravimetry to ascertain their relative thermal stabilities in both inert and oxidising atmospheres. Experiments have been carried out at a rate of temperature rise of 2°C min−1 and isothermally at a number of temperatures. The level of stability found compared favourably with that of other heat‐resistant materials, for example the addition type polyimides. The polymers have also been examined by pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry using two different procedures. In the first, fresh samples were pyrolysed at a number of increasing temperatures, whereas in the second, the sample was subjected to successive pyrolyses at the same temperature intervals.