Original Articles
Shailesh K. Mandavgade, Jeevan
Abstract
The copolymer has been synthesized by the polyconde sation technique of 2-hydroxyacetophenone with cate chol and formaldehyde in the presence of 2M HCl as a catalys t. The copolymer has been characterized by UV-visib le, IR and 1 H NMR spectra. The thermal decomposition behavior o f new copolymer was studied using thermogravimetric analysis in air atmosphere. Thermal decomposition c urves are discussed with careful attention to minut e details. The freeman-Carroll and Sharp-Wentworth methods hav e been used to calculate activation energy and ther mal stability. Thermal activation energy (Ea) calculate d with the help of these methods are in agreement w ith each other. Thermodynamic parameters such as free energy change ( ∆F), entropy change ( ∆S), Apparent entropy change(S*) and frequency factor Z are also determin ed on the basis of TG curves and by using data of t he Freeman- Carroll method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to establish the surface morphology and na ture of the copolymer.