Multiscale analysis of thermal degradation of polyamide 6,6 - Influence of temperature on oxygen diffusion-limited oxidation profiles

International audienceThis paper is devoted to the impact of oxygen diffusion on thermal ageing of PA-6,6. Samples were subjected to ageing in air at temperatures ranging from 140°C to 200°C for different times. Depth profiling methods using AFM measurements were developed to characterise the heterogeneity of the thermal and mechanical properties of the oxidised polymer. A comparison of the results obtained with micro-FTIR profiles was performed to correlate the chemical and physical changes induced by oxidation (i.e., from molecular to macroscopic scales). As a result of diffusion-limited oxidation (DLO), it was shown that polymer oxidised much faster at the surface than in the bulk