Photo-Oxidative Degradation Polyethylene Containing Titanium Dioxide and Poly(Ethylene Oxide)

Abstract:

Biodegradable Polyethylene (PE) may be used in the fabrication of plastic films which can replace common films prepared from nondegradable polymers. A photodegradable polyethylene composite film was prepared by mixing titanium dioxide/poly(ethylene oxide) into the PE matrix (PE/TiO₂/PEO). The composites films were prepared using 0-3 wt.% of TiO₂ and 0-10 wt.% of PEO by melt mixing. It was then compression molded in to films at 180 ^◦C. The photo-degradation test was performed under 400 W UV lamp in the ambient air. The resulting composite materials were investigated by the Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), weight loss monitoring, and Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The PE/TiO₂/PEO composites film showed a high photocatalytic activity, the weight loss rate of it is about two times higher than that of PE/TiO₂ film and ten times higher than that of neat PE film. The FTIR spectra films after UV irradiation showed that the carbonyl peak intensity for composite films the intensity is greater than that of neat PE film. The degraded PEO produced an acid and an aldehyde, which were able to facilitate PE degradation and the addition of PEO/TiO₂ brought about the facilitative effect of the PE degradation.

• Periodical: Key Engineering Materials (Volume 751)
• Pages: 796-800
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/KEM.751.796
• Online since: August 2017
• Authors: Tawat Soitong*, Supattra Wongsaenmai
• Keywords: Photo-Degradation, Poly(Ethylene Oxide), Polyethylene, Titanium Dioxide (TiO₂)

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