The nonisothermal thermal decomposition kinetics of 4,4′-azobis-1,2,4-triazole
(ATRZ) at different heating rates (5, 10, 15, and 20 °C·min–1) were investigated by thermogravimetry (TG) and differential
scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies. The thermal decomposition kinetic
parameters such as apparent activation energy (E)
and pre-exponential factor (A) were calculated by
the Kissinger, Ozawa, and Šatava-Šestak methods. The E and A values calculated by the above
three methods are very close, which are 391.1 kJ·mol–1/1034.92 s–1, 381.1 kJ·mol–1/1034.30 s–1, and 393.4 kJ·mol–1/1035.76 s–1, respectively. Then, the decomposition
mechanism function of ATRZ is analyzed by the calculated results.
The results show that the decomposition temperature of ATRZ is about
300 °C and the exothermic decomposition speed is fast. The decomposition
pathway of ATRZ was analyzed by pyrolysis-gas chromatography–mass
spectrometry (PY-GC-MS). The thermal decomposition kinetic equation
of the ATRZ was deduced.