Abstract
High density polyethylene (HDPE) samples, containing different concentrations of prodegradant additive d2w®, were prepared. The properties of the samples were evaluated through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), rheometry, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The work contributes to decreasing the products made of non-biodegradable polymeric materials derived from fossil sources which are have become a problem due to their increasingly inappropriate disposal and long degradation time in the environment. The obtained results indicated that there was no degradation of the samples due to processing. No significant changes in melting temperature, crystallinity, viscoelastic behavior, molecular weight and chemical composition were observed. Images from SEM analysis showed particles on HDPE surface, attributed to prodegradant additive d2w®. Oxidation Onset Temperature (OOT) results showed that the additive d2w® accelerated the degradation of HDPE. The activation energy (Ea) was determined by Ozawa-Wall-Flynn method. The obtained values were used for lifetime estimation of the samples. At 25°C, HDPE with d2w® showed a lifetime 50% higher than that of HDPE without this additive. This fact is attributed to the presence of stabilizers in masterbatch d2w® and the absence of oxygen in thermogravimetric analysis.
Highlights
Products made of non-biodegradable polymeric materials derived from fossil sources have become a problem due to their increasingly inappropriate disposal and long degradation time in the environment [1]
The properties of the samples were evaluated through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), rheometry, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
The work contributes to decreasing the products made of non-biodegradable polymeric materials derived from fossil sources which are have become a problem due to their increasingly inappropriate disposal and long degradation time in the environment
Summary
Products made of non-biodegradable polymeric materials derived from fossil sources have become a problem due to their increasingly inappropriate disposal and long degradation time in the environment [1]. In Brazil, their consumption increased from 10 kg to 30 kg per person-year in a ten-year period Such increase is due, basically, to the low production cost of these materials, their lightness, high mechanical resistance and ease of fabrication in various shapes, sizes and colors [2]. Prodegradant additives have been used to reduce the degradation time of plastic bags. One of these additives is d2w®, produced by the British company Symphony and commercialized in Brazil by RES Brasil. They are added as concentrates or masterbatches during polyolefin resins film processing [4]. The indicated additive concentration ranges from 1% to 3% (w/w) [5] [6]
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