On the thermal destruction of polyphenylacetylene

Conclusions

• 1. The process of thermal destruction of polyphenylacetylene was studied under vacuum at temperatures 200–900‡.

• 2. The composition of the liquid and gaseous products of the thermal decomposition of polyphenylacetylene was considered.

• 3. Intensive decomposition of the polymer, occurring according to the laws of chance, is observed above 300‡. In this case, the yield of liquid and gaseous products increases with increasing temperature.

• 4. Together with thermal decomposition of the polymers, intermolecular cross-linking is observed, with the formation of individual ordered portions of conjugation with further transition to a condensed aromatic system.

• 5. X-ray diffraction studies, as well as electric conductivity data, show that with increasing temperature the crystallinity and electric conductivity of the polymers increases, reaching values of 15 ohm⁻¹ × cm⁻¹, with an activation energy of the conductivity of 0.03 eV.

• 6. The IR spectra of solid pyrolyzed polymers were discussed.