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Measurement of photochemical degradation in certain plastics by color reactions with phenylenediamines
Author(s) -
Gray Vannie E.,
Wright James R.
Publication year - 1964
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.1964.070080401
Subject(s) - polyester , absorbance , colorimetry , solvent , vinyl chloride , color reaction , chemistry , degradation (telecommunications) , polymer chemistry , materials science , organic chemistry , polymer , chromatography , copolymer , telecommunications , reagent , computer science
Samples of polyester plastics, upon exposure to solar or carbon‐arc radiant energy, were found to form oxidation products which, when reacted with N , N ‐dimethyl‐ p ‐phenylenediamine (DMPDA), produced yellow to brown reaction products. The extent of the reaction was determined directly by the amount of diamine reacted or indirectly by differential colorimetry. Research with this color reaction was extended into the development of tests for measuring the photooxidative degradation of polyesters, rigid poly(vinyl chloride), acrylics, and cellulose acetate–butyrate plastics. The basic colorimetric method was modified as needed for each of these plastics types, by directly measuring the absorbance of the DMPDA solution instead of measuring the amount of DMPDA reacted, by the use of o ‐, m ‐, and p ‐phenylenediamines as replacements for DMPDA in the color reaction, or by a change in the solvent. The reliability of “yellowness” as an indicator of the photochemical stability of plastics was examined.