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An organic bioactive pro-oxidant behavior in thermal degradation kinetics of polypropylene films

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Abstract

Due to its versatility and low cost, polypropylene (PP) is one of the most widely used polymers in the world. However, since it does not easily degrade in natural environment, various methods have been studied to reduce its lifetime. The pro-degrading additives promote the polymer degradation process by accelerating the polymer degradation under heat and/or UV. Eco-one is an organic bioactive pro-oxidant additive that induces biodegradation when it is incorporated into a polymeric matrix by attracting microorganisms in the biotic phase. The aim of this work was to investigate the abiotic degradability of this organic bioactive pro-oxidant additive in PP films. Thermal oxidation studies of the specimens were carried out to investigate the abiotic degradability. We analyzed compositions of PP films containing 1, 3, and 5% Eco-one by mass. These films were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis to calculate the activation energy (E α) and to estimate their lifetime. Differential scanning calorimetry was conducted to provide oxidative induction time. The samples were then aged at 80 °C and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to obtain the carbonyl index (CI). Compositions containing 1% Eco-one additive showed the optimal composition with lower activation energy, and shorter predicted lifetime, suggesting easier thermal degradation. Furthermore, high CI was also observed in samples containing 1% additive, indicating thermodegradation for this composition.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to UFABC, FAPESP, and CNPq for grants and to CAPES for fellowships.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Engenharia, Modelagem e Ciências Sociais Aplicadas, UFABC, Santo André, São Paulo, 09210-580, Brazil

    Lara B. Tavares, Rafaela G. Rocha & Derval S. Rosa

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  1. Lara B. Tavares
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  2. Rafaela G. Rocha
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  3. Derval S. Rosa
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Correspondence to Lara B. Tavares.

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Tavares, L.B., Rocha, R.G. & Rosa, D.S. An organic bioactive pro-oxidant behavior in thermal degradation kinetics of polypropylene films. Iran Polym J 26, 273–280 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13726-017-0517-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13726-017-0517-1

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