Gas-phase NMR technique for studying the thermolysis of materials: Thermal decomposition of ammonium perfluorooctanoate

The kinetics of the thermal decomposition of ammonium perfluorooctanoate (APFO) has been studied by high-temperature gas-phase nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy over the temperature range 196-234 degreesC. We find that APFO cleanly decomposes by first-order kinetics to give the hydrofluorocarbon 1-H-perfluoroheptane and is completely decomposed (>99%) in a matter of minutes at the upper limit of this temperature range. Based on the temperature dependence of the measured rate constants, we find that the enthalpy and entropy of activation are DeltaH(double dagger) = 150 +/- 11 kJ mol(-1) and DeltaS(double dagger) = 3 +/- 23 J mol(-1) deg(-1). These activation parameters may be used to calculate the rate of APFO decomposition at the elevated temperatures (350-400 degreesC) at which fluoropolymers are processed; for example, at 350 degreesC the half-life for APFO is estimated to be less than 0.2 s. Our studies provide the fundamental parameters involved in the decomposition of the ammonium salt of perfluorooctanoic acid and indicate the utility of gas-phase NMR for thermolysis studies of a variety of materials that release compounds that are volatile at the temperature of decomposition and that contain an NMR-active nucleus.