Abstract
The thermal decomposition behaviour of some phosphorus-containing polyesters and a polyesterimide was studied using thermogravimetric analysis in air at several heating rates between 5°C/min and 20°C/min. The results of this study, realized for polyesters with phosphorus linkage as pendant group, were compared with the behavior of some polyesters having the same backbone structure, with phosphorous in the main chain, respectively without phosphorous. A kinetic model of the reaction order was also proposed for thermal degradation of studied polymers by using Vyazovkin method. Keywords: phosphorus-containing polymers, thermal degradation, flame retardant properties