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Evidence for the reduction of quinones added during thermal processing of polypropylene and the resultant effect on polymer light stability
Author(s) -
Allen N. S.,
McKellar J. F.,
Protopapas S. A.
Publication year - 1978
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.1978.070220601
Subject(s) - photochemistry , anthraquinone , benzoquinone , chemistry , polypropylene , polymer , quinone , photosensitizer , phosphorescence , thermal stability , polymer chemistry , materials science , fluorescence , organic chemistry , physics , quantum mechanics
The thermal and photochemical oxidation of anthraquinone‐ and p ‐benzoquinone‐doped polypropylene has been studied by absorption, luminescence, and infrared spectroscopy. Prior to irradiation, fluorescence and phosphorescence measurements showed that some of the anthraquinone and most of the p ‐benzoquinone had been converted into their corresponding hydroquinones during processing. The p ‐benzoquinone, unlike anthraquinone, also imparted a blue coloration to the polymer before irradiation, which is associated with the formation of a quinhydrone complex (or complexes). These results indicate that the quinones are thermally reduced to their corresponding hydroquinones during processing by a mechanism of hydrogen atom abstraction from the polymer substrate. On photo‐oxidation, whereas anthraquinone acted as a photosensitizer, p ‐benzoquinone acted as a photostabilizer.