Kinetics of the Thermal and Thermo‐Oxidative Degradation of a Polystyrene–Clay Nanocomposite

Thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry have been used to study the thermal and thermo-oxidative degradation of polystyrene (PS) and a PS-clay nanocomposite. An advanced isoconversional method has been applied for kinetic analysis. Introduction of the clay phase increases the activation energy and affects the total heat of degradation, which suggests a change in the reaction mechanism. The obtained kinetic data permit a comparative assessment of the fire resistance of the studied materials.