Kinetics and Mechanical Studies of Melaminium bis(trichloroacetate) dihydrate

N. Kanagatharaa, M.K. Marchewkab, S. Gunasekaranc and G. Anbalagand aDepartment of Physics, Vel Tech Dr. RR & Dr. SR Technical University, Avadi, Chennai-62, India bInstitute of Low Temperature and Structure Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 937, 50-950 Wrocław 2, Poland cSt. Peter's University, Avadi, Chennai-54, India dDepartment of Physics, Presidency College, Chennai-5, India

Received: October 28, 2013

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The thermal decomposition kinetics of melaminium bis(trichloroacetate) dihydrate (MTCA) has been studied by thermogravimetry and derivative thermogravimetry techniques using non-isothermal experiments at three different heating rates 10, 15, and 20°C min-1. Non-isothermal studies of MTCA revealed that the decomposition occurs in three stages involving dehydration and decomposition. The apparent activation energy (Ea) and the pre-exponential factor (łn A) of each stage of thermal decomposition at various linear heating rates are calculated using Flynn-Wall, Friedman, Kissinger, and Kim-Park method. A significant variation of effective activation energy (Ea) with conversion (α) indicates that the process is kinetically complex. The linear relationship between the A and Ea values is well established (compensation effect). Isothermal kinetics of thermal decomposition of MTCA was found to obey Avrami-Erofeev's (A4) and power law (P3) equations. In addition to the above, mechanical properties have been estimated by Vicker's microhardness test for the grown crystal.

DOI: 10.12693/APhysPolA.126.827 PACS numbers: 82.20.Pm; 65.40.-b; 82.20.-w; 62.20.Qp; 83.50.-v