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Technical Paper

Utilization of TGA Flynn-Wall and Arrhenius Analysis for Rapid Prediction of Automotive PVC Cable Performance

2017-03-28
2017-01-0398
Both pellet raw material and resulting extruded insulation samples were obtained from three grades of PVC used to produce automotive insulation and were examined for thermal stability on a Thermogravimetric Analyzer (TGA). The Flynn Wall technique was used to obtain degradation activation energies by plotting ln(heating rate) vs 1/T and using a literature value of 7% weight loss as the point of performance failure. The Arrhenius relationship was used to predict multiple year lifetimes at 100°C from the multiple hour degradation times observed on the TGA at 200°C. The insulation specimens of two of the samples were found to be significantly less thermally stable than the pellets - indicating slight decomposition occurred during extrusion onto the cable core. All cable insulation samples predicted service lifetimes many times the expected auto life. A PVC insulation sample was examined for failure at various oven aging temperatures using ASTM D3032 mandrel wrap testing.
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