Thermal Decomposition of Decabromodipheny1 Ether During the TempPS Resin in Fire

It is very important for the safety and risk assessment in the course of fire and disposition of flame-retarded polymer to understand the thermal decomposition behavior of decabromodiphenyl ether containing in the polymer at moderate-high temperature. In this paper, the stability and weight loss of flame-retarded high-impact polystyrene resin were studied by thermogravimetric analyzer, the decomposition products of decabromodiphenyl ether at moderate-high temperature range from 250°C to 300°C were investigated by means of a bench-scale pyrolysis reactor and GC/MS, and the decomposition mechanism of decabromodiphenyl ether was discussed. The experimental results showed that polymer could reduce the intial decompostion temperature of decabromodiphenyl ether via acting as hydrogen donor for debrominating reaction, which may cause debrominating partly of decabromodiphenyl ether even at below 300°Cwheras the weight loss speed was accelerated duo to forming antimonous bromide with low boiling point by the reaction of hydrogen bromide and antimony trioxide. The main decomposition products of decabromodiphenyl ether in the high-impact polystyrene resin at about 300°Care various polybrominated diphenyl ethers and its isomers which the number of bromine atoms substituted are not less five.