Temperate UV-Accelerated Weathering Cycle Combined with HT-GPC Analysis and Drop Point Testing for Determining the Environmental Instability of Polyethylene Films
Polyethylene films are one of the most frequently used packaging materials in our society, due to their combination of strength and flexibility. An unintended consequence of this high use has been the ever-increasing accumulation of polyethylene films in the natural environment. Previous attempts to...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-07-01
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| Series: | Polymers |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/13/14/2373 |
| _version_ | 1797526165944008704 |
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| author | Celine Moreira Richard Lloyd Gavin Hill Florence Huynh Ana Trufasila Faith Ly Hasan Sawal Christopher Wallis |
| author_facet | Celine Moreira Richard Lloyd Gavin Hill Florence Huynh Ana Trufasila Faith Ly Hasan Sawal Christopher Wallis |
| author_sort | Celine Moreira |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Polyethylene films are one of the most frequently used packaging materials in our society, due to their combination of strength and flexibility. An unintended consequence of this high use has been the ever-increasing accumulation of polyethylene films in the natural environment. Previous attempts to understand their deterioration have either focused on their durability using polymer analysis; or they have focused on changes occurring during outdoor exposure. Herein, this study combines those strategies into one, by studying the chemical and physical changes in the polyethylene structure in a laboratory using molecular weight and IR spectroscopic mapping analysis, combined with temperate UV-accelerated weathering cycles. This approach has been correlated to real-world outdoor exposure timeframes by parallel testing of the sample polyethylene films in Florida and France. The formation of polyethylene microparticles or polyethylene waxes is elucidated through comparison of drop point testing and molecular weight analysis. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:26:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2250d157ff114d6eb503f7005a80c17a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4360 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:26:21Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Polymers |
| spelling | doaj.art-2250d157ff114d6eb503f7005a80c17a2023-11-22T04:47:19ZengMDPI AGPolymers2073-43602021-07-011314237310.3390/polym13142373Temperate UV-Accelerated Weathering Cycle Combined with HT-GPC Analysis and Drop Point Testing for Determining the Environmental Instability of Polyethylene FilmsCeline Moreira0Richard Lloyd1Gavin Hill2Florence Huynh3Ana Trufasila4Faith Ly5Hasan Sawal6Christopher Wallis7Polymateria Limited, i-Hub, Imperial College White City Campus, 84 Wood Lane, London W12 0BZ, UKPolymateria Limited, i-Hub, Imperial College White City Campus, 84 Wood Lane, London W12 0BZ, UKPolymateria Limited, i-Hub, Imperial College White City Campus, 84 Wood Lane, London W12 0BZ, UKPolymateria Limited, i-Hub, Imperial College White City Campus, 84 Wood Lane, London W12 0BZ, UKPolymateria Limited, i-Hub, Imperial College White City Campus, 84 Wood Lane, London W12 0BZ, UKPolymateria Limited, i-Hub, Imperial College White City Campus, 84 Wood Lane, London W12 0BZ, UKPolymateria Limited, i-Hub, Imperial College White City Campus, 84 Wood Lane, London W12 0BZ, UKPolymateria Limited, i-Hub, Imperial College White City Campus, 84 Wood Lane, London W12 0BZ, UKPolyethylene films are one of the most frequently used packaging materials in our society, due to their combination of strength and flexibility. An unintended consequence of this high use has been the ever-increasing accumulation of polyethylene films in the natural environment. Previous attempts to understand their deterioration have either focused on their durability using polymer analysis; or they have focused on changes occurring during outdoor exposure. Herein, this study combines those strategies into one, by studying the chemical and physical changes in the polyethylene structure in a laboratory using molecular weight and IR spectroscopic mapping analysis, combined with temperate UV-accelerated weathering cycles. This approach has been correlated to real-world outdoor exposure timeframes by parallel testing of the sample polyethylene films in Florida and France. The formation of polyethylene microparticles or polyethylene waxes is elucidated through comparison of drop point testing and molecular weight analysis.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/13/14/2373UV-accelerated weatheringpolyethyleneoutdoor exposureweathering correlationHT-GPCcarbonyl index |
| spellingShingle | Celine Moreira Richard Lloyd Gavin Hill Florence Huynh Ana Trufasila Faith Ly Hasan Sawal Christopher Wallis Temperate UV-Accelerated Weathering Cycle Combined with HT-GPC Analysis and Drop Point Testing for Determining the Environmental Instability of Polyethylene Films Polymers UV-accelerated weathering polyethylene outdoor exposure weathering correlation HT-GPC carbonyl index |
| title | Temperate UV-Accelerated Weathering Cycle Combined with HT-GPC Analysis and Drop Point Testing for Determining the Environmental Instability of Polyethylene Films |
| title_full | Temperate UV-Accelerated Weathering Cycle Combined with HT-GPC Analysis and Drop Point Testing for Determining the Environmental Instability of Polyethylene Films |
| title_fullStr | Temperate UV-Accelerated Weathering Cycle Combined with HT-GPC Analysis and Drop Point Testing for Determining the Environmental Instability of Polyethylene Films |
| title_full_unstemmed | Temperate UV-Accelerated Weathering Cycle Combined with HT-GPC Analysis and Drop Point Testing for Determining the Environmental Instability of Polyethylene Films |
| title_short | Temperate UV-Accelerated Weathering Cycle Combined with HT-GPC Analysis and Drop Point Testing for Determining the Environmental Instability of Polyethylene Films |
| title_sort | temperate uv accelerated weathering cycle combined with ht gpc analysis and drop point testing for determining the environmental instability of polyethylene films |
| topic | UV-accelerated weathering polyethylene outdoor exposure weathering correlation HT-GPC carbonyl index |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/13/14/2373 |
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