Thermal decomposition of low-molecular weight perfluoroalkylethers

Seven low-molecular weight perfluoroalkylethers have been subjected to thermal degradation using a how pyrolyzer attached to a gas chromatograph, and the results are compared with thermal decomposition of two perfluoroalkanes. Bath linear and branched ethers were studied. The major degradation products from the ethers were identified by GC/MS. Products due to specific C-O bond fission were detected from only two of the ethers. Hexafluoropropylene was the most prominent product from all the ethers studied. While the perfluoroalkylethers in general were more stable than perfluoroalkanes, linear ethers were more stable than branched ethers. The stability of the ethers also decreased with increasing number of adjacent C-C bonds.