Abstract
The thermal degradation of N,N'-bis(2 hydroxyethyl) linseed amide (BHLA) was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and mass spectroscopy (TG-FTIR-MS). Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that the thermal degradation process can be subdivided into three stages: sample drying (< 200 A degrees C), main decomposition (200-500 A degrees C), and further cracking (> 500 A degrees C) of the polymer. The compound reached almost 800 A degrees C during pyrolysis and combustion. The activation energy at the second step during combustion was slightly higher than that of pyrolysis emissions of carbon dioxide, aliphatic hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen cyanide, and other gases during combustion and pyrolysis were detected by FTIR and MS spectra. It was observed that the intensities of CO2, CO, HCN, and H2O were very high when compared with their intensities during pyrolysis, and this was attributed to the oxidation of the decomposition product.