Thermal stability of polymer composite films based on polyvinyl alcohol doped with different fillers

Studies on the thermal degradation of plastics have been reported for many years, a considerable number of references on this topic being found in the literature [1-3]. Most of the early studies on polymer thermal degradation were aimed at determining the polymer thermal stability rather than at developing feasible alternatives for the conversion of polymeric wastes. It was in the 1970s that the thermal degradation of polymers began to be considered as an interesting alternative for the feedstock recycling of such wastes. Polymer decomposition by treatment at higher temperatures is also used as an analytical technique for polymer identification [4,5].