Vol. 5, Issue 7, Part A (2019)

Abstract
The kinetics of the thermal degradation of polyamide 56 (PA56) have been investigated by dynamic thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) at different heating rates in flowing nitrogen. Thermal degradation of PA56 could be accomplished by one step. The corresponding kinetic parameters of the degradation process, including the activation energy E_a, the reaction order n, and pre-exponential factor are determined by using Kissinger and Flynn–Wall–Ozawa methods. Coats–Redfern method is also used to explain the probable degradation mechanism of the PA56. The results showed that the activation energy obtained from Kissinger method is in a good agreement with the value obtained by using Flynn–Wall–Ozawa method. The solid-state degradation mechanism of the PA56 is a decelerated R₁ type (Phase boundary controlled reaction one-dimensional movement).