Thermal degradation of polymer - fire retardant mixtures. Part VI: Mechanism of interaction in polystyrene - chloroparaffin mixtures

In mixtures of polystyrene with a fire retardant chloroparaffin, the rate of volatilisation of the polymer is initially increased during the thermal dehydrochlorination of the additive. In the residue which results, the volatilisation of polystyrene occurs at a lower rate than when it is heated alone. The mechanisms of the reactions which occur in the mixture are discussed and related to the fire retardant action of the chloroparaffin.