Thermogravimetric analysis of poly(alkyl methacrylates) and poly(methylmethacrylate‐g‐dimethyl siloxane) graft copolymers

The thermal stabilities of various poly(alkyl methacrylate) homopolymers and poly(methyl methacrylate‐g‐dimethyl siloxane) (PMMA‐g‐PSX) graft copolymers have been determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). As expected, the thermal stabilities of poly(alkyl methacrylates) were a function of the ester alkyl group, and polymerization mechanism. In particular, thermally labile linkages, which result from termination during free radical or nonliving polymerization mechanisms, decrease the ultimate thermal stabilities of the polymers. However, graft copolymers, which were prepared by the macromonomer technique with free radical initiators, exhibited enhanced thermal stability compared to homopolymer controls. A more complex free radical polymerization mechanism for the macromonomer modified polymerization may account for this result. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.