Great advantages in using a natural rubber instead of a synthetic SBR in a pro-oxidant system for degradable LDPE.
Different pro-oxidant systems are used in degradable low-density polyethylene (LDPE). The main question is the degradation products and not the degradation time from the used materials. The pro-oxidant formulation used consisted of manganese stearate and natural rubber (NR) or manganese stearate and a synthetic, styrene-butadiene copolymer rubber (SBR). The samples were heated in air at 100 degrees C in sealed glass vials. The molecular weight changes were measured by size exclusion chromatography (SEC). The volatile and nonvolatile degradation products have been identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). A wide variety of degradation products were identified, including ketones, carboxylic acids, keto acids, dicarboxylic acids, and furanones as a homologous series. Benzaldehyde, acetophenone, benzoic acid, benzyl benzoate, and two benzene derivative compounds were identified only in the LDPE-SBR system. These aromatic compounds originate from the styrene part of SBR. The advantages using pro-oxidant containing NR are more effective degradation of LDPE without any aromatic degradation products.
Khabbaz
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Department of Polymer Technology, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), S-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden.
Albertsson
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AC
D002070:Butadienes / Q000737:chemistry*; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D007783:Lactones / Q000737:chemistry; D008970:Molecular Weight; D016877:Oxidants / Q000737:chemistry*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011095:Polyethylenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D011108:Polymers; D012408:Rubber / Q000737:chemistry*; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
D002070:Butadienes; D007783:Lactones; D016877:Oxidants; D011095:Polyethylenes; D011108:Polymers; D012408:Rubber