Thermal Degradation Kinetics of High Temperature Polymers for Aeronautic Cables Insulation

The perspective of increasing on board power on aircrafts leads to reconsider cable technologies, among which insulation processing. In this work, the thermal stability of three materials, Polyimide, Polytetrafluoroethylene and perfluoroalkoxy (PFA) is investigated. Based on a multi-step degradation model applied to thermogravimetric analysis curves, isothermal degradation curves are predicted. Outstanding thermal stability is anticipated for PFA on a chemical standpoint. With the advantage of being a extrusion-processable polymer, PFA constitutes therefore an excellent candidate for high performance cables with extruded insulation.