Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne

Prof. P. A. Christensen

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Updated: 28 Jan 09

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Paint and polymer durability (4)

The comparison of the amount of CO2 generated after 10 hours irradiation by an AM0 (air-mass zero) filtered xenon lamp, and the carbonyl index, measured after 328 hours exposure in a QUV apparatus, is shown in the figure below and demonstrates that the information obtained from these CO2 measurements correlates with information from more conventional accelerated tests. Therefore, it was reasonable to use this rather rapid test to explore mechanistic details of polymer degradation. (Note the speed of the experiment in comparison with QUV measurements.) The small size of the cell, and the ease with which the atmosphere could be controlled, facilitated such studies.

A correlation of the photo-generation of CO2, measured after 10 h irradiation, with the carbonyl index, after 328 h exposure in a QUV, for unpigmented (arrowed) and TiO2 pigmented PE films. The TiO2 pigments were commercial samples that ranged from lightly coated rutile to heavily coated ‘highly durable’ rutile.

A correlation of the photo-generation of CO2, measured after 10 h irradiation, with the carbonyl index, after 328 h exposure in a QUV, for unpigmented (arrowed) and TiO2 pigmented PE films.The TiO2 pigments were commercial samples that ranged from lightly coated rutile to heavily coated ‘highly durable’ rutile.

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