Fourier Transfer Infrared Measurement of CO2 Photogeneration from Polyethylene, Polypropylene, and Polyesters

Christensen, PA; Egerton, TA; Fernando, SS; White, JR

doi:10.1021/bk-2009-1004.ch013

Fourier Transfer Infrared Measurement of CO2 Photogeneration from Polyethylene, Polypropylene, and Polyesters

Lookup NU author(s): Professor Paul Christensen ORCiD, Dr Terry Egerton

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Abstract

Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) measurements of the rate of carbon dioxide production during UV irradiation of pigmented and unpigmented polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) have been made. Experiments were conducted in wet oxygen and in dry oxygen. Evidence for an induction time was found with PP but not with PE. Inclusion of anatase caused a significant increase in CO2 generation from both polymers. CO2 generation from PE containing a lightly-coated rutile was intermediate between that for unpigmented PE and anatase-pigmented PE. A similar result was obtained with PP in dry oxygen but in wet oxygen the CO2 generation rate for rutile-pigmented PP was similar to that for unpigmented PP. The same procedure was shown to be applicable to the study of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) photo-oxidation.