Ecological and Process Aspects of Oxidative Biodegradable Films Production Based on Low Density Polyethylene

Abstract

Modifying additives impact – pro-oxidants – on low-density polyethylene oxidative degradation under short-term aging conditions in a thermostat with forced convection at 70 °C and ultraviolet irradiation with different exposures (48, 96, 144 h) was studied. It is concluded that for polyethylene films modified with stearates of metals of variable valence, under short-term aging conditions, the formation of aldehydes (1733–1740 cm-1) and carboxyl (1700 cm-1) was observed and accompanied by a sharp decrease in the intensity of absorption bands at 1465–1470 cm-1, which is specific to stretching and bending deformations of CH2 of the polyethylene polymer matrix and indicating the destruction of polymer chains. It is shown that the short-term aging of oxidatively biodegradable polyethylene affects environmental and technological problems associated with the pollutants release, including in particular, formaldehyde and other pollutants.