A new molecular understanding of the thermal degradation of PA 66 doped with metal oxides: Experiment and computation

The investigations under inert conditions showed that the presence of metal particles increases the rate of decarboxylation and deamination reactions, as well as the formation rate of cyclopentanone and pyridine derivatives. These species are a consequence of various condensation reactions. The condensation reactions release a large amount of water, thus triggering the hydrolysis of PA 66. Molecular thermal degradation mechanisms were developed for the main decomposition as well as for the condensation reactions and supported by quantum chemical calculations. The catalytic effect of the metal oxides in PA 66 increases in the following order: PA 66 = PA 66 - Al2O3 < PA 66 - Fe2O3 < PA 66 - ZnO.