Kinetic Study of the Thermal and Thermo-Oxidative Degradations of Polystyrene Reinforced with Multiple-Cages POSS

A comprehensive kinetics degradation study is carried out on novel multiple cages polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)/polystyrene (PS) composites at 5% (w/w) of POSS to assess their thermal behavior with respect to the control PS and other similar POSS/PS systems studied in the past. The composites are synthesized by in situ polymerization of styrene in the presence of POSSs and characterized by (1)H-NMR. The characteristics of thermal parameters are determined using kinetics literature methods, such as those developed by Kissinger and Flynn, Wall, and Ozawa (FWO), and discussed and compared with each other and with those obtained in the past for similar POSS/PS composites. A good improvement in the thermal stability with respect to neat polymer is found, but not with respect to those obtained in the past for polystyrene reinforced with single- or double-POSS cages. This behavior is attributed to the greater steric hindrance of the three-cages POSS compared with those of single- or double-cage POSS molecules.