Thermal Degradation of Polymer Composites Based on Unsaturated-Polyester-Resin- and Vinyl-Ester-Resin- Filled Kraft Lignin

The creation of heat-resistant polymers represents one of the most significant challenges and priorities in contemporary scientific research. The incorporation of a filler of analogous nature and content into disparate types of resins will facilitate the identification of the relationship between properties and the structure of macromolecular chains in synthetic resins that function as composite matrices. The objective of this study was to ascertain the impact of lignin at 5 and 15% by weight on the thermal degradation of two resin-based composites with disparate structural compositions. The thermal decomposition products of the composites were determined by the method of temperature-programmed desorption mass spectroscopy (TPD MS). The thermal oxidative degradation patterns of polymer composites were investigated through derivatography (Q-1500D). It was demonstrated that the incorporation of lignin in modest quantities has a negligible impact on the thermal stability of the composites. Notably, the temperature at which the composites undergo thermal decomposition during thermal oxidation degradation exhibits a variation of over 10 °C, suggesting that the utilisation of lignin holds promise for the development of environmentally benign and cost-effective materials for diverse industrial applications.