P. Pages et al., FTIR AND DSC STUDY OF HDPE STRUCTURAL-CHANGES AND MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES VARIATION WHEN EXPOSED TO WEATHERING AGING DURING CANADIAN WINTER, Journal of applied polymer science, 60(2), 1996, pp. 153-159
The aging of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) when exposed to drastic
climatic conditions (Canadian winter, characterized by low temperature
and abrupt temperature variations between the night and the day) was
studied. The importance of degradation was determined by evaluating th
e microstructural changes in HDPE (i.e., oxidations, ramifications, an
d polymeric chain breaking) by means of FTIR spectrophotometry. The cr
ystallinity variation in HDPE by FTIR and DSC was also studied. Both t
echniques led to coherent results: there was a loss of crystallinity d
ue to weathering degradation. This crystallinity reduction produced a
drastic decrease in impact energy. However, the other properties evalu
ated were not significantly affected. (C) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.