Cause and effect in the weathering of plastics

In most instances, the study of the weatherability of plastics follows empirical schemes that show little correlation with the actual effects of outdoor exposure. A more reliable analysis must be based on a knowledge of the factors in the weather which affect plastic properties and of the modes of interaction between these factors and the plastic material. It is shown that both the factors of the weather and the kinetics of polymer degradation may be expressed in a quantitative manner suitable for analytical treatment. Furthermore, it is shown that the analytical approach yields predictions which are in qualitative agreement with the results of actual outdoor exposure. Finally, some new techniques are proposed for more reliable predictions of long-term outdoor weatherability on the basis of laboratory studies.