Thermoplastic polyethylene has been increasingly used in important structural applications, and as a result, there is great interest in their service life against various weathering conditions. In this study, the accelerated aging tests using a Simulated Photodegradation via High Energy Radiant Exposure (SPHERE) were performed for high density polyethylene (HDPE) under various temperatures (30 °C, 40 °C, 50 °C) and UV intensities (40 %, 60 %, 100 %) at dry condition (~0 % RH). We focused on investigating the effects of the individual aging parameters on the tensile failure processes of high density polyethylene. In order to investigate the chemical and mechanical degradation behaviors of HDPE over aging times, ATR-FTIR measurements were performed to characterize the oxidation behaviors in HDPE, and uniaxial tensile tests were performed to monitor change of tensile properties. Ultimately the experimental results obtained from the indoor tests will be applied to a model to predict the degradation behaviors of HDPE for the outdoor use.

Effects of the temperature and UV intensity levels on degradation behaviors of high-density polyethylene

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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