International audienceThermal aging of an additive free PA 6-6 has been elucidated at 90, 100, 120, 140, 150 and 160 C in airventiled ovens by Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry, viscosimetry in molten state and uniaxial tensile testing. Oxidation of methylene groups starts after a considerably shorter induction period but reaches a lower maximal rate than in additive free PE. Cleavage of CeN bonds constitutes the main source of chain scissions. It leads to the formation of aldehyde chain-ends and a catastrophic decrease in molar mass. Embrittlement occurs at a very low conversion ratio of the oxidation process, in particular when the concentration of aldehyde chain-ends reaches a critical value of [PH¼O]F z 5.6 10 3 mol l 1, corresponding to a critical value of the number average molar mass ofMnFz17 kg mol 1. At this stage, the entanglement network in the amorphous phase is deeply damaged. A non-empirical kinetic model has been derived from the oxidation mechanistic scheme previously established for PE, but improved by adding elementary reactions specific to polyamides such as the rapid decomposition of unstable hydroxylated amide groups. This model describes satisfyingly the main features of the thermal oxidation kinetics of PA 6-6, but also of other types of aliphatic polyamides studied previously in the literature such as: PA 6, PA 12 and PA 4-6, as long as it is not controlled by oxygen diffusion. At the same time, it confirms the existence of an universal character for the thermal oxidation kinetics of aliphatic polyamides whatever their origin, i.e. their initial molar mass, crystallinity ratio, concentration of impurities, structural irregularities, etc

A chemo-mechanical model has been developed for predicting the long-term mechanical behavior of EPDM rubbers in a harsh thermal oxidative environment. Schematically, this model is composed of two complementary levels: The “chemical level” calculates the degradation kinetics of the macromolecular network that is introduced into the “mechanical level” to deduce the corresponding mechanical behavior in tension. The “chemical level” is derived from a realistic mechanistic scheme composed of 19 elementary reactions describing the thermal oxidation of EPDM chains, their stabilization against oxidation by commercial antioxidants but also by sulfide bridges, and the maturation and reversion of the macromolecular network. The different rate constants and chemical yields have been determined from a heavy thermal aging campaign in air between 70 and 170 °C on four distinct EPDM formulations: additive free gum, unstabilized and stabilized sulfur vulcanized gum, and industrial material. This “chemical level” has been used as an inverse resolution method for simulating accurately the consequences of thermal aging at the molecular (concentration changes in antioxidants, carbonyl products, double bonds, and sulfide bridges), macromolecular (concentration changes in chain scissions and cross-link nodes), and macroscopic scales (weight changes). Finally, it gives access to the concentration changes in elastically active chains from which are deduced the corresponding changes in average molar mass MC between two consecutive cross-link nodes. The “mechanical level” is derived from a modified version of the statistical theory of rubber elasticity, called the phantom network theory. It relates the elastic and fracture properties to MC if considering the macromolecular network perfect, and gives access to the lifetime of the EPDM rubber based on a relevant structural or mechanical end-of-life criterion. A few examples of simulations are given to demonstrate the reliability of the chemo-mechanical model.

The water sorption properties (i.e. diffusivity and solubility) of three unfilled vulcanized EPDMs were investigated in wet atmosphere (typically between 0 and 95% RH) and in pure distilled water (denoted as 100% RH) at 70 C with an IGAsorp dynamic sorption analyzer. In the 0e0.5 activity range, all EPDMs obey to the usual Fick and Henry's laws. In contrast, at activities higher than 0.5, the water sorption behavior of all EPDMs deviates from these two laws because of the formation of water clusters. Park's equation was used for simulating accurately the sorption isotherms and thus, accessing Henry's constant and the average size of water clusters. In wet atmospheres, clusters would be composed of about 8 ± 4 molecules corresponding approximately to the size of free volume holes. In contrast, in pure distilled water, clusters consist in a much larger number of water molecules (between 55 and 71) presumably because of an exacerbated swelling of EPDM samples. Thus, immersion in water solution is more drastic than exposure to fully saturated wet atmosphere. The impact of the EPDM formulation (nature and content of crosslinking agent) on these experimental results is clearly of the second order of magnitude.