When the DTA of polystyrene is carried out in air in a platinum sample holder, an anomalously high endothermic effect is observed. This effect was found to be related to gas-phase catalytic styrene oxidation occurring on the surface of both operating and reference platinum sample holders. Methodological recommendations are given concerning the DTA procedure for organic substances, making it possible to avoid this type of anomaly.The thermal degradation of polystyrene (PS) has been fairly well investigated. It is known that this process occurs mainly as depolymerization, as a result of which the initial monomer, styrene, is evolved:to the accompaniment of an endothermic effect [1,2]. In fact, if analysis is carried out in a ceramic crucible in a static atmosphere of air (derivatograph, heating rate 10 deg/min, sample weight 50 mg), the DTA curve of powdered PS exhibits a weak endothermic peak with a maximum at 394 ~ followed by two small exothermic peaks with maxima at 420 and 542 ~ (Fig.
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