Photodegradation of Biobased Oils Polymer Blended with High Density Polyethylene upon Ultraviolet Irradiation Exposure

Abstract

AbstractIn the present study, two types of polymers that is biopolymer derived from vegetable oils and High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) was blended together. Biopolymer are covers both biobased and biodegradable polymers while HDPE is thermoplastic polymer that is easily remoulded and recycled. This is an advantage to produce bio-based polymer that can remould and degrade by producing a new polymer blend. The blended polymer of HDPE with 30% of BP via melt mixing technique using Brabender (B) machine and a manually mixed (M) namely as HB and HM respectively was produced. The sample in the form of dumbbell shape from the Injection Moulding machine was then exposed to Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation at a constant temperature of 50 °C for 500, 1000, 2000 and 3000 h irradiation exposure. The FTIR spectroscopy was identified that both HB and HM have the same functional group of C-H group at 2915 cm−1 and 2848 cm−1as the main backbone of the polymer blended structure. For HB and HM, peaks at 1697–1714 cm−1 were contributed to the C=O group in the amide region. For CH3 bending the peaks were observed at 1472–1462 cm−1. In addition, the carbonyl Index (CI) was calculated. HB shows the highest CI for 1000H irradiation exposure while 500H for the lowest CI. The HM of 500H exposed upon UV shows the highest while 3000H shows the lowest value of CI. After UV irradiation the CI of HB and HM shows fluctuated trend due to degradation occurring under photo-oxidation circumstances is the chain scission accompanying with the cross-linking and the formation of the carbonyl group.KeywordsBiopolymersHigh density polyethyleneThermal degradationUltraviolet irradiationCarbonyl index (CI)Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy