| Abstract: | The loss of a primary phenolic antioxidant Irganox 1010 and of a secondary phosphite antioxidant Irgafos 168 from a medium density polyethylene film (MDPE) was investigated after exposure of the film for 4 years to different environments such as aqueous media at pH5 and 7, open air, and compost, with an exposure of exposition of 25°C. An ultrasonic extraction technique using chloroform as extraction solvent was applied to recover the residual antioxidants from the polymeric matrix, and this was followed by High‐Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) with acetonitrile as mobile phase and a quantitative analysis at a wavelength of 280 nm of the extracted antioxidants. The amount of antioxidant lost varied remarkably depending on the testing medium. The fastest loss of antioxidant was found on exposure to open air and sunlight while the slowest loss was observed in compost. Thermo‐analytical measurements were made to characterize the residual thermo‐oxidative stability of MDPE film in terms of oxidation temperature and oxidation induction time, to provide a greater insight into the underlying mechanisms of ageing in the different environments. Analysis by Gas chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC‐MS) revealed that degradation of the polymeric matrix resulted in the formation of hydrocarbons and oxygen‐containing compounds such as alcohols, carboxylic acids, aldehydes, and esters. The transformation products of the antioxidants formed as result of processing or exposure to the tested media were also identified. The transformation of the phenoxy radical of the Irganox 1010 produced the ester, acid, dealkylated cinnamate, and quinone products, whereas Irgafos 168 yielded oxidation products and the phenolic hydrolysis byproduct 2,4‐di‐tert‐butylphenol. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 85: 974–988, 2002 |
