Monitoring detachment and diffusion of metallic species in polycarbonate

摘要

Photon absorption is known to create peroxy radicals in polymers, in a process that entails the removal of hydrogen atoms and the subsequent breakage of bonds. Bond-breaking is found to free, from the polymeric matrix, metallic additives which are then able to diffuse out, as evidenced by the change in both the metallic fluorescence yield and the XPS profiles of C, N, and O. Polycarbonate was artificially weathered using UV radiation from mercury emission lines at 365, 405 and 435 nm, followed by thermal treatment. The UV wavelengths used have energies comparable to those of covalent bonds found in polymeric chains. Both processes, light exposure and thermal, have the purpose of stimulating the degradation of polycarbonate.