Abstract: The thermal decomposition kinetics and mechanism of polyamide 12（PA12） was investigated by means of TGA at different heating rate in nitrogen atmosphere The thermal decomposition activation energy, thermal decomposition kinetics and model were obtained from Freeman Carroll method, Kissinger method, Ozawa method, Achar and Coats Redfern method The thermal decomposition activation energy and the preexponential constant of PA12 were 246.5 kJ/mol and 1014.71, respectively; the thermal decomposition mechanism of PA12 followed contraction cylinder theorem of which the differential form was f(α)=3(1-α)2/3 and the integral form was G(α)=1-(1-α)1/3.

Key words: polyamide 12, thermal decomposition kinetics, thermal decomposition mechanism