NEW TOOLS FOR ANALYZING DEGRADATION

New tools for analysing degradability are presented. The degradation p roduct patterns and morphology changes are proved to be means to diffe rentiate on the one hand physical/chemical (abiotic) and on the other hand biological (biotic) ageing of polymers. In the biotic environment an assimilation of carboxylic acids occurs and a series of longer n-a lkanes (C21-C26) is present. In the abiotic samples carboxylic acids a re identified but no n-alkanes. This is in agreement with the biodegra dation mechanism of LDPE proposed by us 1987. Morphology changes as ma nifested by crystallinity (w(c)) and lamella thickness (l) revealed a slow decrease of w(c) and (l) in biotically aged samples while the cor responding abiotically aged ones show constant or increasing values. C hromatography of low molecular weight compounds and x-ray diffraction analysis of crystallinity and lamellae thickness creates an opportunin ty for a deeper insight into the degradation mechanisms.