Analytical and Numerical Modeling of Degradation and Pyrolysis of Polyethylene: Measuring Aging with Thermogravimetry

Tuukka Verho; Jukka Vaari

doi:10.3390/polym14132709

Analytical and Numerical Modeling of Degradation and Pyrolysis of Polyethylene: Measuring Aging with Thermogravimetry

Tuukka Verho, Jukka Vaari (Corresponding Author)

BA5510 ProperTune Soft Condensed Materials

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

Abstract

Aging reactions due to heat and radiation cause chain scissions and cross-linking in cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE). We have developed theoretical and numerical graph models to study the evolution of the gel fraction and network properties during aging as well as the mass loss during thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Our analytical and kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) based models that combine degradation reactions and a simple vaporization model can quantitatively predict TGA curves for aged XLPE. Fitting the model to experimental TGA data yields the number of scission reactions, showing that thermogravimetry combined with our models can present a nondestructive aging characterization tool for lifetime prediction.

Original language	English
Article number	2709
Journal	Polymers
Volume	14
Issue number	13
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14132709
Publication status	Published - 1 Jul 2022
MoE publication type	A1 Journal article-refereed

Keywords

aging
cross-linked polyethylene
graph model
kinetic Monte Carlo
thermogravimetric analysis

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10.3390/polym14132709Licence: CC BY

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title = "Analytical and Numerical Modeling of Degradation and Pyrolysis of Polyethylene: Measuring Aging with Thermogravimetry",

abstract = "Aging reactions due to heat and radiation cause chain scissions and cross-linking in cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE). We have developed theoretical and numerical graph models to study the evolution of the gel fraction and network properties during aging as well as the mass loss during thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Our analytical and kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) based models that combine degradation reactions and a simple vaporization model can quantitatively predict TGA curves for aged XLPE. Fitting the model to experimental TGA data yields the number of scission reactions, showing that thermogravimetry combined with our models can present a nondestructive aging characterization tool for lifetime prediction.",

keywords = "aging, cross-linked polyethylene, graph model, kinetic Monte Carlo, thermogravimetric analysis",

author = "Tuukka Verho and Jukka Vaari",

note = "Funding Information: Acknowledgments: XLPE samples were sponsored by the TeaM Cables project, funded from the Euratom research and training programme 2014–2018 under grant agreement No 755183. Antti Pasanen (VTT) is acknowledged for conducting the TGA experiments. Funding Information: Funding: This research was funded by the Nuclear Waste Management Fund of Finland (SAFIR2022 program). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.",

year = "2022",

month = jul,

day = "1",

doi = "10.3390/polym14132709",

language = "English",

volume = "14",

journal = "Polymers",

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T1 - Analytical and Numerical Modeling of Degradation and Pyrolysis of Polyethylene

T2 - Measuring Aging with Thermogravimetry

AU - Verho, Tuukka

AU - Vaari, Jukka

N1 - Funding Information: Acknowledgments: XLPE samples were sponsored by the TeaM Cables project, funded from the Euratom research and training programme 2014–2018 under grant agreement No 755183. Antti Pasanen (VTT) is acknowledged for conducting the TGA experiments. Funding Information: Funding: This research was funded by the Nuclear Waste Management Fund of Finland (SAFIR2022 program). Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

PY - 2022/7/1

Y1 - 2022/7/1

N2 - Aging reactions due to heat and radiation cause chain scissions and cross-linking in cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE). We have developed theoretical and numerical graph models to study the evolution of the gel fraction and network properties during aging as well as the mass loss during thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Our analytical and kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) based models that combine degradation reactions and a simple vaporization model can quantitatively predict TGA curves for aged XLPE. Fitting the model to experimental TGA data yields the number of scission reactions, showing that thermogravimetry combined with our models can present a nondestructive aging characterization tool for lifetime prediction.

AB - Aging reactions due to heat and radiation cause chain scissions and cross-linking in cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE). We have developed theoretical and numerical graph models to study the evolution of the gel fraction and network properties during aging as well as the mass loss during thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Our analytical and kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) based models that combine degradation reactions and a simple vaporization model can quantitatively predict TGA curves for aged XLPE. Fitting the model to experimental TGA data yields the number of scission reactions, showing that thermogravimetry combined with our models can present a nondestructive aging characterization tool for lifetime prediction.

KW - aging

KW - cross-linked polyethylene

KW - graph model

KW - kinetic Monte Carlo

KW - thermogravimetric analysis

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DO - 10.3390/polym14132709

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85133720158

VL - 14

JO - Polymers

JF - Polymers

SN - 2073-4360

IS - 13

M1 - 2709

ER -

Analytical and Numerical Modeling of Degradation and Pyrolysis of Polyethylene: Measuring Aging with Thermogravimetry

Abstract

Keywords

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TeaM Cables: European Tools and Methodologies for an efficient ageing management of nuclear power plant Cables

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Analytical and Numerical Modeling of Degradation and Pyrolysis of Polyethylene: Measuring Aging with Thermogravimetry

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

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Projects

TeaM Cables: European Tools and Methodologies for an efficient ageing management of nuclear power plant Cables

Cite this