THE SCORE ON WEATHERABILITY

AN EXAMINATION OF OUTDOOR INSTALLATIONS OF PLASTICS THAT HAVE BEEN EXPOSED FOR SOME LENGTH OF TIME LEADS TO THE FOLLOWING CONCLUSIONS: (1) SOME PLASTICS HAVE INHERENT WEATHERABILITY AND HAVE EXHIBITED NO SIGNIFICANT DEGRADATION OVER LONG PERIODS OF TIME, AND (2) MANY OF THOSE WHOSE WEATHERABILITY IS INADEQUATE CAN BE MODIFIED TO IMPROVE THAT PROPERTY SUFFICIENTLY TO MAKE IT ACCEPTABLE BY USING LIGHT SCREENS, UV LIGHT ABSORBERS AND STABILIZERS TO PROTECT PLASTICS FROM THE HARMFUL RAYS OF THE SUN, AND ANTIOXIDANT COMPOUNDS THAT SERVE TO ARREST THE DAMAGING EFFECTS OF OXYGEN. CARBON BLACK IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND ECONOMICAL SCREEN. HOWEVER, IT ABSORBS LIGHT ACROSS THE WHOLE SPECTRUM AND TENDS TO CONVERT THE SOLAR ENERGY IT ABSORBS INTO HEAT, ACCELERATING DEGRADATION BY THERMAL OXIDATION. THIS PROCESS CAN BE ARRESTED BY INCORPORATION OF THE APPROPRIATE ANTIOXIDANT INTO THE COMPOUND. THE LONGEVITY OF PLASTICS OUT -OF-DOORS THUS DEPENDS ON JUST THE RIGHT COMBINATION OF UV LIGHT ABSORBERS AND ANTIOXIDANTS. THE EXPERIENCE OF THE BELL TELEPHONE SYSTEM WITH POLYETHYLENE, POLYVINYLCHLORIDE IS REVIEWED. EXPERIENCES OF OTHER OUTDOOR USERS WITH THESE COMPOUNDS AND POLYVINYL FLUORIDE, BUTYRATES, EPOXIES AND FLUOROCARBON RESINS ARE ALSO REVIEWED.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 44, No 7, PP 86-91, 162, 164, 166, 170, 175, 15 PHOT
• Publication Date: 1967-5

Media Info

• Serial:
  • Modern Plastics
  • Publisher: McGraw-Hill, Incorporated

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Absorbents; Antioxidants; Carbon black; Epoxy resins; Ethylene resins; Filters; Halogenated compounds; Light; Plastics; Polyvinyl acetate; Reviews; Rubber; Ultraviolet radiation; Weathering
• Uncontrolled Terms: Polyethylene
• Old TRIS Terms: Absorbers /materials/; Butyl rubber; Halocarbons; Polyvinyl acetal resins; Ultraviolet filters
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00216195
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 16 1994 12:00AM