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Learning from mother nature: exploiting a biological antioxidant for the melt stabilisation of polymers
Author(s) -
AlMalaika Sahar
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
macromolecular symposia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.257
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1521-3900
pISSN - 1022-1360
DOI - 10.1002/1521-3900(200112)176:1<107::aid-masy107>3.0.co;2-1
Subject(s) - antioxidant , polymer , materials science , polymer science , biochemical engineering , process engineering , biological system , chemical engineering , nanotechnology , computer science , composite material , chemistry , organic chemistry , engineering , biology
An overview of the antioxidant role of the biologically active form of vitamin E, α‐tocopherol, in polyolefins is discussed. The effect of the vitamin antioxidant on the melt and colour stability of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) is highlighted. It is shown that tocopherol is a highly effective antioxidant that results in superior melt stabilisation of polyolefins particularly when used at much lower concentration than that needed for conventional synthetic hindered phenol processing stabilisers. As with other hindered phenols, α‐tocopherol‐imparts also some colour to the polymer but this is shown to be reduced drastically in the presence of other antioxidants, such as phosphites, or other additives, such as polyhydric alcohols.