Degradation studies of PVC films

Abstract

The outdoor degradation of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) products is complex and not completely understood for most of the technical formulations. Furthermore, it is known that the behaviour of such materials is dependent of the photo-oxidation conditions, namely source of radiation, temperature, presence of water and humidity. In the present work, we have used X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to evaluate the influence of different photo-oxidation conditions on the surface degradation of stabilized PVC, low thickness calendered samples (~ 150 μm). The main objective is the study of the influence of the weathering conditions on the degradation level of stabilized PVC products for outdoor applications trying to go deeper in the understanding of the mechanism of both the degradation and the stabilization of the surface under different environmental conditions, different polymer formulations and different processing methods (extrusion or calendering). Comparisons are made with previous results obtained using colourimetry and infrared spectroscopy. The role of PVC formulation and of radiation source and water were studied using artificial weathering. Results were compared with degradation induced by natural weathering in Lisbon.