High-rate thermal degradation of polyethylene

/images/jpca18.jpg — Molecular state of polyethylene during a high-rate temperature ramp (journal cover).

/images/polyethylene_2100.jpg — Polyethylene at 2100 K. Carbons colored by number of C–C bonds; H2 in yellow.

/images/polyethylene_300_3000.jpg — Polyethylene at 300 K and ~3000 K before and after the ramp.

Work by Matt Lane and Nathan Moore (Sandia) on the high-rate thermal decomposition of organics, simulating conditions comparable to Z-machine X-ray ablation experiments and developing a kinetic model of the degradation processes for polyethylene.

Related publications

Molecular and Kinetic Models for High-Rate Thermal Degradation of Polyethylene, J. M. D. Lane and N. W. Moore, Journal of Physical Chemistry A 122, 3962-3970 (2018). doi:10.1021/acs.jpca.7b11180