Thermal degradation study of PVA derivative with pendant phenylthionecarbamate groups by DSC/TGA and GC/MS

The thermal study of poly(vinyl phenylthionecarbamate) was carried out through DSC and TGA analysis. DSC curve affords five decomposition steps whose temperature ranges were consistent with the TGA weight loss graphic. Tg transition takes place at 219 °C. The largest PVA-PT mass loss occurs at 120-340 °C, within two overlapped process with an average ΔH = 170.4 J/g. These processes were assigned to the vicinal hydroxyl groups' water elimination, followed by the polymer defunctionalization. The PVA derivative thermal decomposition mechanism was proposed based on GC/MS results.