Photostability Enhancement of Dual-Luminophore Pressure-Sensitive Paint by Adding Antioxidants

Abstract

Antioxidants were applied to a dual-luminophore pressure-sensitive paint (PSP), and the effects on photodegradation caused by exposure to excitation light were studied. Three types of antioxidants that are commonly used for the photostability enhancement of polymers were added to a dual-luminophore PSP, and degradation rates and pressure/temperature sensitivities were investigated by coupon-based tests. One-hour-long aging tests were performed in a pressure chamber with a continuous excitation light source under dry air and argon atmospheres at 100 kPa and 20 °C. As a result of the aging tests, a singlet oxygen quencher type antioxidant was found to reduce the degradation rate by 91% when compared with the dual-luminophore PSP without antioxidants. This implies that singlet oxygen has a dominant role in the photodegradation mechanism of the dual-luminophore PSP.