Thermal oxidation of blends of polystyrene and poly(vinyl methyl ether) containing a hindered phenol as antioxidant was studied at llO'C. The incorporation of the antioxidant in the miscible blend lengthens the induction period and lowers the rate of oxidation. Phase separation which preceded the end of the induction period caused the antioxidant to redistrihute itself among the different phases. This in turn controlled the induction period and the oxidation rate. The molecular weight of the PVME component in the blend remained unchanged during the induction period but decreased rapidly afterwards. Polystyrene also underwent chain scission after the end of the induction period. When low molecular weight polystyrene was blended with PVME, the films remained homogeneous throughout the oxidation reaction. This resulted in a further increase in the induction period and decrease in the rate of oxidation.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.