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Photooxidative degradation and fragmentation behaviors of oriented isotactic polypropylene

Polymer Journal volume 56, pages 379–389 (2024)Cite this article

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Abstract

The photooxidative degradation and fragmentation behaviors of isotactic polypropylene (itPP) were simulated in laboratory after various postconditions, such as quenching, gradual cooling and drawing, using an artificial weathering machine and a blender. The crystallinity of the itPP films and orientation of the molecular chains play important roles in the photooxidation of the itPP films. Compared to quenched itPP films with the same ultraviolet (UV) exposure time, highly oriented itPP films and gradually cooled itPP films with higher crystallinity exhibited a lower rate of photooxidative degradation. To clarify the photooxidative degradation mechanism, the surface morphology, chemical structure, and microstructure of the UV-exposed itPP films were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and wide- and small-angle X-ray scattering. Photooxidative degradation was inhibited as the orientation degree of the itPP film increased. These results indicate that photooxidation likely occurs in the amorphous phase of itPP. Oriented molecular chains effectively slowed the photooxidative degradation of the itPP films. The artificial fragmentation test of UV-exposed itPP films showed that itPP films with lower crystallinity and orientation degrees were crushed into microplastics that were much smaller in size than those with higher crystallinity or orientation degrees.

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Acknowledgements

This work is based on results obtained from a project, PNP18016, commissioned by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). The authors also acknowledge the financial support of the JSPS Grant-in- for Scientific Research (Grant No. 26248053). WAXS and SAXS data were obtained at the BL38B1 beamline of the SPring-8 synchrotron facility in Japan with the approval of RIKEN.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Center for Negative Emission Technologies, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan

    Yingjun An, Tomoko Kajiwara, Adchara Padermshoke, Thinh Van Nguyen, Sinan Feng & Atsushi Takahara

  2. Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo, 679-5198, Japan

    Hiroyasu Masunaga

  3. Research Center for GREEN Materials and Advanced Processing, Yamagata University, 4-3-16 Jonan, Yonezawa, Yamagata, 992-8510, Japan

    Yutaka Kobayashi & Hiroshi Ito

  4. Graduate School of Organic Materials Science, Yamagata University, 4-3-16 Jonan, Yonezawa, Yamagata, 992-8510, Japan

    Hiroshi Ito

  5. Department of Biobased Materials Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, 1 Matsugasaki Hashikami-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8585, Japan

    Sono Sasaki

  6. Faculty of Fiber Science and Engineering, Kyoto Institute of Technology, 1 Matsugasaki Hashikami-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8585, Japan

    Sono Sasaki

  7. RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo, 679-5148, Japan

    Sono Sasaki

  8. Research Institute for Applied Mechanics, Kyushu University, 6-1 Kasuga-Koen, Kasuga, 816-8580, Japan

    Atsuhiko Isobe

Authors
  1. Yingjun An
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  2. Tomoko Kajiwara
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  4. Thinh Van Nguyen
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  5. Sinan Feng
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  6. Hiroyasu Masunaga
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  10. Atsuhiko Isobe
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  11. Atsushi Takahara
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Correspondence to Atsushi Takahara.

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An, Y., Kajiwara, T., Padermshoke, A. et al. Photooxidative degradation and fragmentation behaviors of oriented isotactic polypropylene. Polym J 56, 379–389 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41428-023-00876-4

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