Effect of ultraviolet radiation in the photo-oxidation of High Density Polyethylene and Biodegradable Polyethylene films

Abstract

One of the most widely used plastics in the world is the High density polyethylene (HDPE), it is a stable material due to its carbon-carbon bonds, causing their slow degradation; which is why we are looking for alternative ways to accelerate the degradation process of this polymer. An alternative is the addition of oxidized groups in its molecular structure, which results in the development of polymers susceptible to biodegradation (PE-BIO). In this paper, HDPE and PE-BIO films were exposed to UV-B radiation (320-280 nm) at different exposure times, 0-60 days. The effects of UV radiation in samples of HDPE and PE-BIO were characterized using infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflectance (ATR). The results show that the exposed materials undergo changes in their molecular structure, due to the infrared bands formed which corresponds to the photo-oxidation of HDPE and PE films when submitted to UV-B radiation.