title: In situ kinetics study of the accelerated aging of poly(ethylene oxide) using PhotoDSC.
abstract: PhotoDSC has been applied to follow the global kinetics of chain scissions resulting from the UV light irradiation or from the thermal degradation of a high molecular weight PEO (4 x 10(6) g x mol(-1)). Infrared spectroscopy, XRD measurements and rheology experiments were performed to evidence the occurrence of chain scissions. Melting energy was used as a tool to quantify the extent of the degradation. It was found that the chain scissions reaction follows a first-order kinetic law for both photo and thermal degradation. The activation energies were found identical in both cases (41 kJ x mol(-1)), whereas the degradation rate was higher in the case of UV irradiation than in the case of thermoageing.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Photochimie Moléculaire et Macromoléculaire, UMR CNRS 6505, Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Clermont-Ferrand et Université Blaise Pascal, 24 Avenue des Landais, 63174 Aubière Cedex, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fraisse
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morlat-Thérias
authors.forename: J-L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Gardette
authors.forename: J-M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Nedelec
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baba