Polymer Photodegradation Followed by Infrared: A Tutorial

Since the first scientific study published by August Wilhelm Hofmann at 1861, where he found the role of oxygen in the degradation of weathered materials, a lot of progress has been made regarding the understanding of the mechanisms that lead to the polymer degradation. In this work, it was proposed...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Mena, Rodrigo L., Cacuro, Thiago A., Freitas, Amanda S. M. de, Rangel, Elidiane C. [UNESP], Waldman, Walter R.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2020
País:Brasil
Institución:Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)
Repositorio:Repositório Institucional da UNESP
Idioma:portugués
OAI Identifier:oai:repositorio.unesp.br:11449/210531
Acceso en línea:http://dx.doi.org/10.21577/1984-6835.20200077
http://hdl.handle.net/11449/210531
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Polypropylene
photochemical degradation
carbonyl index
oxidation
radical reactions
Descripción
Sumario:Since the first scientific study published by August Wilhelm Hofmann at 1861, where he found the role of oxygen in the degradation of weathered materials, a lot of progress has been made regarding the understanding of the mechanisms that lead to the polymer degradation. In this work, it was proposed a protocol to study the photochemical degradation of polymers using as probes the absorption of hydroxyl, carbonyl, and vinyl, as followed by the infrared spectroscopy. As a result, it is possible to assess the evolution of the chemical groups associated with the polymer degradation comparing the absorption as a function of degradation time, for films with the same thickness, or comparing the absorption of the chemical groups associated with the polymer degradation related to a reference band, for polymer or pieces with different thicknesses. We discuss also the general mechanism of photodegradation for polyolefins; the difference between using the area of the band vs the intensity of the peak; and the construction of a lab-made ageing chamber, and the role of each part.