Thermal Decomposition Characteristics of the Ethylene Oxide-Tetrahydrofuran Copolyether Binder

Thermal gravimetric analysis (TG), differential thermal analysis (DTA), and in-situ Fourier Transform Infra-Red spectrometer (FTIR) experiments were used to investigate the thermal decomposition characteristics of PET binder. The results of TG-DTA show that PET binder takes place only one step weight loss at a heating rate of 5°C/min. While the heating rate rises (≥10°C/min), PET binder takes place two-step weight loss. The first step is an exothermic reaction, and the second step is the endothermic reaction. Moreover the start and termination decomposition temperature and peak temperature of PET all shift to the higher temperatures with the increase of heating rate. In-situ FTIR results show that the first step weight loss of PET is the depolymerization reaction and the second step is mainly the decomposition reaction of -CH₂-and C-O-C.