| Abstract: | Studies of the thermal and photodegradation of two commercial polymers, stabilized and unstabilized low-density polyethylene (LDPE), show the effects of weathering in differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) curves. The shape and the size of the melting peak vary significantly in thermal aging and in accelerated photoirradiation, but no change was observed in natural weathering implying that the crystallinity remains steady in outdoor exposures. The melting temperatures remain steady for all exposure tests. The fall of mechanical properties and the evolution of chemical structure, followed by IR spectroscopy especially near the carbonyl regions, was also performed. The resistance to UV light irradiation as probed by deformation at break was superior in stabilized LDPE compared to unstabilized LDPE. Simple correlations were not observed between the fall of mechanical properties, the rate of oxidation, and the morphology. |
