Thermal stability of a novel polytriazole resin

A novel poly(1,2,3-triazole) (PTA) resin was prepared from a diazide and a multialkyne. The thermal stability and degradation kinetics of the cured PTA resin were investigated with the aid of the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) technique. The degradation temperature of the cured PTA resin reaches 360 °C (Td5). Apparent kinetic parameters of the degradation of the cured resin is obtained by using Ozawa's method. The average apparent degradation activation energies of the PTA resin are about 190 kJ/mol under nitrogen and 160 kJ/mol under air. The cured PTA resin was pyrolyzed at 400 and 570 °C separately and the pyrolysis fragments were determined by using the Py/GC/MS combined technique. The results show that the degradation of the cured PTA resin initiates at CH2N bonds. Nitrogen and related compounds which result from the cleavage of CN and NN bonds of 1,2,3-triazole ring were found in the pyrolysis products at 570 °C but no at 400 °C. Finally, a degradation mechanism of the cured polytriazole resin was proposed.