Thermooxidation-induced surface modifications of the ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymer as investigated by time-of-flight particle-induced desorption mass spectrometry .1. Individual homopolymers

Particle-induced desorption mass spectrometry has been used to investigate surface modifications of the homopolymers of poly(ethylene-co-methyl acrylate), namely polyethylene (PE) and polymethyl acrylate (PMA), upon thermal degradation (up to 168 hours at 180 degrees C). The thermooxidation of PE is characterized by the formation of new ion fragments, both negative and positive, which have been identified. For the PMA material it has not been possible to detect any significant modifications resulting from thermal degradation, as either negative- or positive-ions. However, negative-ion emission is recommended for discriminating the contribution of each homopolymer to the degradation process of the copolymer.