Polymeric exterior materials are the outermost barrier between occupants of a home or automobile and the surrounding environment. Frequently, a variety of particulate additives from the nano to micron scale are incorporated into home vinyl siding and automotive acrylic coatings to confer desirable properties such as increased impact resistance, improved UV stabilization, or enhanced glossiness. While automotive and home exterior materials are engineered for different functions and performance standards, their polymer matrices share an inherent susceptibility to weathering, and particularly UV-driven photodegradation, during the use-phase of their respective lifecycles. Presently unknown is both the extent to which nano to micron scale particulate additives in each exterior material will regulate the kinetics of overall material aging and the degree to which such additives will release into the environment during polymer matrix degradation. To address these knowledge gaps regarding environmental exposure of automobile and home exteriors and the fate of their particulate additives, the effects of weathering on exterior performance, degradation, and nanomaterial release were investigated. First, the natural and artificial weathering of an automotive coating containing a nanoform pigment (i.e., Cu-phthalocyanine) was examined and coating degradation and pigment release were compared after both weathering strategies. The nanoform pigment both improved coating resiliency against extensive photodegradation and its inclusion dictated release characteristics (i.e., release kinetics and form of released material) of the coating during weathering. Second, artificial weathering studies utilized both the NIST SPHERE (Simulated Photodegradation via High Energy Radiant Exposure) and a QUV Weatherometer to age commercially available vinyl siding. Vinyl siding samples were characterized spectroscopically and morphologically to track the rate of polymer degradation and monitor the emergence and exposure of embedded particulate additives that resulted from each exposure strategy. A key component of this study was the examination of how the differing spectral power distributions of the NIST SPHERE and QUV Weatherometer impacted the kinetics of vinyl degradation and particulate additive exposure. Collectively, these investigations inform the potential for weathering of exterior materials to result in nanomaterial release and exposure to humans and the environment.

Release of nanomaterial additives from automobile coatings and home siding during natural and artificial weathering

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.