Sensitive luminescence techniques to study the early stages of polymer oxidation

This paper describes recent developments in the use of chemiluminescence (CL) and profluorescent nitroxides (PFNs) in probing the “induction period” of polymer oxidation. CL measures the instantaneous rate of reaction of hydroperoxides responsible for initiating degradation and the spreading of oxidation, while PFNs can be used to measure the concentration of alkyl radicals produced in oxidation events and thus provide an integrating sensor for the extent of cumulative damage. The PFN additive acts as an oxidation retarder by competing with oxygen to scavenge the alkyl radicals that generate chain carrying peroxy radicals and so mirrors the performance of hindered amine stabilisers (HAS) in one part of their stabilisation cycle. Using the example of polypropylene (PP) and cis-polyisoprene (PIP) as substrates which can rapidly spread oxidative damage, the factors controlling the reaction of PFNs can be determined from CL and fluorescence as well as infra-red (IR) spectroscopy through the detection of oxidation products as measured by the carbonyl index. Matrix effects on the reactivity are demonstrated using a polyethylene-norbornene copolymer (TOPAS) as carrier for both PIP and the PFN and it is seen that the PFN is a radical scavenger only above T_g of the carrier. When PIP alone is oxidized, the PFN is an integrating sensor for free radical production under ambient conditions for up to twelve months while also stabilizing the polymer. Critically, it is thus able to determine the underlying rate of radical production in the oxidation induction period.     

The kinetics of polyolefin oxidation in aqueous media

The thermal oxidation, at 75–92°C, of antioxidant-free low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is faster in most aqueous environments than in air. The accelerative environments include water, solutions of sodium salts, and a basic buffer. However, an acidic buffer retards oxidation. Transition metal salts are not examined here since their catalytic effect is wellknown. The acceleration is predominantly a surface phenomenon, and so is most obvious in thin polymer films. For antioxidant-containing polyolefins, complications arise because of the possibility of extraction of stabilizers, but the trend in oxidative lifetime is similar to that of the antioxidant-free specimens, and the antioxidants are observed to react chemically during the aging process. For example, a commercial crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) shows a reduction in thermo-oxidative lifetime of at least a factor of two in aqueous environments compared to air. High-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP) show similar behavior, but the magnitude of the effect of aqueous environments is less. This phenomenon is discussed in terms of nucleophilic attack by peroxy anions on hydroperoxides.     

Effect of contact surfaces on the thermal and photooxidation of dehydrated castor oil

The effect of stainless steel, glass, zirconium and titanium enamel surfaces on the thermal and photooxidative toughening mechanism of dehydrated castor oil films deposited on these surfaces was investigated using different analytical and spectroscopic methods. The conjugated and non-conjugated double bonds were identified and quantified using both Raman spectroscopy and 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy. The disappearance of the double bonds in thermally oxidised oil-on-surface films was shown to be concomitant with the formation of hydroperoxides (determined by iodometric titration). The type of the surface had a major effect on the rate of thermal oxidation of the oil, but all of the surfaces examined had resulted in a significantly higher rate of oxidation compared to that of the neat oil. The highest effect was exhibited by the stainless steel surface followed by zirconium enamel, titanium enamel and glass. The rate of thermal oxidation of the oil-on-steel surface (at 100 °C, based on peroxide values) was more than five times faster than that of oil-on-glass and more than 21 times faster than the neat oil when compared under similar thermal oxidative conditions. The rate of photooxidation at 60 °C of oil-on-steel films was found to be about one and half times faster than their rate of thermal oxidation at the same temperature. Results from absorbance reflectance infrared microscopy with line scans taken across the depth of thermally oxidised oil-on-steel films suggest that the thermal oxidative toughening mechanism of the oil occurs by two different reaction pathways with the film outermost layers, i.e. furthest away from the steel surface, oxidising through a traditional free radical oxidation process involving the formation of various oxygenated products formed from the decomposition of allylic hydroperoxides, whereas, in the deeper layers closer to the steel surface, crosslinking reactions predominate.     

Effect of natural antioxidants on the stability of polypropylene films

A preliminary study on the efficiency of agri-food industry wastes as stabilizers for polypropylene (PP) films is reported. Several analytical techniques were employed to evaluate the stabilization effectiveness of the additives. DSC and CL analysis performed on unaged samples confirmed the antioxidant activity of natural additives, and provided the following order of efficiency: red grape seeds > white grape seeds > tomato extracts. The films were also artificially aged at 70 °C, and FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the stabilization trend obtained from the unaged films. Kinetic analysis of TG data alongside tensile tests indicated that the tomato extract is a good thermal and processing stabilizer, but it is sensitive to oxidation. In contrast, grape seeds provide long-term stabilization to PP under conditions of oxidative degradation. Our results show that tomato and wine processing by-products have good potential to be exploited as a low-cost source of value-added phytochemicals.     

Oxidation of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) part 1: Interpretation of the chemiluminescence curve recorded during thermal oxidation

The chemiluminescence curve of polyethylene differs from that of polypropylene even though the oxidation behaviour is similar. The CL curve of PE normally exhibits a double sigmoidal behaviour, whereas PP shows a single sigmoid, and its luminescence intensity is also much lower. It was found, by investigating the build-up of carbonyls and hydroperoxides by means of FTIR, that the first peak coincides with a maximum in hydroperoxide concentration and the second with the build-up of carbonyls. The intensity of the first peak is enhanced by doping the PE with DPA (9,10-diphenylanthracene), which is a chemiluminescence activator, but unaffected by doping the PE with DBA (9,10-dibromoanthracene), which is an energy acceptor. The intensity of the first peak also depends on the presence of carbonyls in the sample. From these observations it is concluded that the CL from PE is a type of activated chemiluminescence, which originates from hydroperoxide decomposition, with carbonyls acting as activator.     

Improved thermal oxidation stability of polypropylene films in the presence of β-nucleating agent

Thermal oxidation behavior of isotactic polypropylene (PP) films with and without nucleating agent was investigated at 100 °C in air. The crystal form of PP was modified with a specific aryl amide derivative as β-nucleating agent (β-NA). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), polarized optical microscopy (POM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and tensile tests were performed to determine the extent of chemical degradation and the variations of microstructure of the two kinds of PP films during thermal oxidation. It was found that the mechanism of thermal oxidation of PP films was not changed in the presence of β-NA, but the time to initiation and the rate of oxidation both declined. Moreover, during the thermal oxidation aging, the melting temperature of neat PP significantly decreased while only a slight decrease of the melting temperature occurred for β-PP. Overall, the investigation indicated that the thermal oxidative stability of β-PP was higher than that of neat PP. The underlying mechanism was further analyzed by considering the change in the physical structure, especially the crystalline and the amorphous structure, of PP in the presence of β-NA.     

Poly(pyrroles) containing chiral side chains: effect of substituents on the chiral recognition in the doped as well as in the undoped state of the polymer film

The chiral discrimination of different poly(pyrroles) grafted by chiral side chains was investigated both in the doped and undoped state of the polymer films. To verify the enantioselective properties in the doped state, cyclic voltammograms were recorded in acetonitrile in the presence of the enantiomers of camphorsulfonic acid and the potentiodynamic polymerization of the appropriate monomers was performed using the same chiral electrolytes. The enantiomericrecognition in the undoped state was investigated by the application of these modified electrode surfaces in the enantioselective electroreduction of the prochiral ketones 4-methyl benzophenone and 2,5-dimethyl benzophenone. One polymer exhibits a recognition ability in the doped state; the investigation for the undoped state is in progress. A second polymer does not show enantioselective properties either in the doped nor in the undoped state. Electronic Publication     

Thermal chemiluminescence of fibrous proteins

Thermal chemiluminescence (TCL) from the fibrous proteins wool and feather keratin, silk fibroin and Type I collagen is reported for the first time. The proteins all emit TCL when heated in the atmosphere of O₂ or N₂ in the range 40-220 °C. Plotting non-isothermal CL data in O₂ in Arrhenius format showed an increase in the activation energy at temperatures in the range 129-161 °C for each protein. This may indicate that a different free radical oxidation process operates when the mobility of the amorphous phase of the protein is increased above its T_g. Wool, silk and collagen exhibited a luminescence peak at 130 °C (with feather keratin at 145 °C) during non-isothermal CL experiments in N₂, similar to that observed in many synthetic polymers and characteristic of polymer hydroperoxides.     

Band gap tailoring of chemically synthesized lead sulfide thin films by in situ Sn doping

In the present report, undoped and tin (Sn)‐doped lead sulfide thin films were synthesized via chemical bath deposition method. The effects of Sn molar concentration on the optical, structural, and morphological properties were systematically studied. The concentration of Sn in the chemical bath was characterized by the ratio of [Sn⁺²]/[Pb⁺²] and varied from 0 to 15 at.%. Both doped and undoped thin films were polycrystalline in nature with a face‐centered cubic crystal structure; however, the preferred orientations of the crystallites were varied along the (111) and (200) planes with Sn‐doping concentration. The X‐ray powder diffraction results also showed that peak intensities and the crystalline size were decreased with increasing Sn concentration. The lattice constant varied with Sn concentration and found in the range of 6.020 to 5.944 Å. The variation of Sn concentration in PbS:Sn thin films were confirmed by energy dispersive X‐ray analyses study. The scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscopy studies revealed that Sn doping had a critical role on the surface roughness and morphology of the PbS:Sn thin films. The optical band gap study showed that the band gap of PbS:Sn thin films were engineered from 0.676 to 1.345 eV because of incorporation of Sn⁺² ions via cost‐effective chemical route. Room temperature photoluminescence spectra showed a well‐defined peak at 427 nm and shoulders at 405 and 462 nm for all Sn‐doped and undoped PbS samples.     

Total luminescence intensity (TLI) offers superior early oxidation detection in unstabilised polyethylene but is no better than FT-IR for stabilised polyolefins

In an earlier study, we have shown that chemiluminescence (CL) and the total luminescence intensity (TLI) method are highly sensitive to oxidation in degradable PE. In this study, stabilised PE and PP were characterised with CL in an inert (TLI) and in an oxygen atmosphere (CL-OIT) and the results were compared to those obtained by the commonly used techniques, FT-IR (carbonyl index (CI)) and thermal analysis (DSC-OIT). PE was aged at a low temperature (80 °C) and PP was aged at temperatures between 60 and 120 °C. Non-Arrhenius behaviour was observed in the oxidation of PP. This showed the importance of aging at a low temperature to obtain realistic results. TLI and CI of stabilised PP and most of the stabilised PE gave comparable results with the same sensitivity for oxidation detection. This was in contrast to our previous results for degradable PE. However, TLI of unstabilised PE showed earlier oxidation detection than CI, which agreed with our earlier results. TLI of PE had a higher sensitivity than CL-OIT, and both TLI and CI of PP were sufficiently sensitive to detect the effect of aging at different temperatures, whereas DSC-OIT was not.     

Chemiluminescence as a condition monitoring method for thermal aging and lifetime prediction of an HTPB elastomer

Chemiluminescence (CL) has been applied as a condition monitoring technique to assess aging related changes in a hydroxyl-terminated-polybutadiene based polyurethane elastomer. Initial thermal aging of this polymer was conducted between 110 and 50 °C. Two CL methods were applied to examine the degradative changes that had occurred in these aged samples: isothermal “wear-out” experiments under oxygen yielding initial CL intensity and “wear-out” time data, and temperature ramp experiments under inert conditions as a measure of previously accumulated hydroperoxides or other reactive species. The sensitivities of these CL features to prior aging exposure of the polymer were evaluated on the basis of qualifying this method as a quick screening technique for quantification of degradation levels. Both the techniques yielded data representing the aging trends in this material via correlation with mechanical property changes. Initial CL rates from the isothermal experiments are the most sensitive and suitable approach for documenting material changes during the early part of thermal aging.     

A spreading model for the oxidation of polypropylene

A model for the heterogeneous oxidation of polypropylene (PP) is proposed in which it is considered that there is a small initial fraction, p_o, of oxidizing centres which have a high local rate of oxidation. Within these zones there is a free radical chain reaction producing secondary oxidation products, volatiles and chemiluminescence (CL) from peroxy radical termination reactions. These zones progressively spread (rate coefficient b/s⁻¹) and the free radical reactions die away within the volume of the original zones, producing a measurable concentration of oxidation products (rate coefficient α/s⁻¹). Analysis of the CL-time curve as representing the instantaneous infectious , fraction, p_i, in the spreading model enables the parameters p_o, b and α to be determined and profiles of the remaining fraction (p_r) and dead or oxidized fraction (p_d) constructed. Analysis of CL curves from 120°C to 150°C gives an activation energy for spreading in PP particles of 96kJ/mol. Both single particles and groups of particles of different types of PP have been examined and evidence is presented of rapid surface spreading of oxidation from particle to particle.     

Effect of chromium residues on the stability of gas-phase high-density polyethylene produced by supported catalysts

The thermo-oxidative stability of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) prepared by silica supported Ziegler-Natta, bis(triphenylsilyl)chromate and bis(cyclopentadienyl)-chromium(II) catalyst systems was examined by chemiluminescence (CL) techniques and thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. In particular, the technique of dynamic CL in nitrogen allows the concentration of polymer hydroperoxides and the relative stability of these to be simultaneously determined. Polymer hydroperoxides in Ziegler-Natta catalyzed HDPE are relatively stable because titanium and aluminum residues are poor pro-oxidants compared with chromium residues. HDPE produced by bis(cyclopentadienyl)chromium(II) has a low intrinsic thermo-oxidative stability due to the chromium-catalyzed conversion of polymer hydroperoxides into degradation products during thermal aging. Concentrations of residual chromium as low as 1 ppm can profoundly affect the oxidative stability of the polymer and exert a much greater influence than either the extent of branching or the degree of unsaturation. The appearance of the silica catalyst support before and after gas-phase polymerization was studied by scanning electron microscopy. During polymerization the silica support shatters and the resulting submicron fragments are dispersed throughout the polymer particles. On exposure of the nascent polymer to the atmosphere, bis(cyclopentadienyl)chromium(II) is converted to a trivalent chromium species which remains associated with the silica substrate. The presence of trivalent chromium in the poisoned chromium catalyst was confirmed by UV/visible spectrophotometry and the nature of the Cr(III) species was investigated by diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The high surface area of the catalyst residue renders it a powerful pro-oxidant despite its low concentration. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Thermal-oxidative degradation of polyamide 6,6 containing metal salts

The thermal-oxidative stability of oven aged polyamide 6,6 (PA6,6) doped with Co, Cu, Ni and Zn chlorides combined with KI was examined. Aging caused a depression in melting temperature and an increase in enthalpy of fusion of PA6,6 films due to the formation of a strongly degraded crystalline fraction with a lower molecular weight. A build-up of carbonyl absorption in the range 1700-1780 cm⁻¹ due to primary and secondary photo-oxidation products was detected. The kinetics of carbonyl accumulation was affected by the morphology of the samples, and it was observed that at a later stage of aging the crystalline phase was also involved in the oxidation process. The above mentioned changes were greatest in the case of neat, Co and Ni doped polymer, suggesting that these metal salts acted as pro-oxidants. On the other hand, the use of Cu and Zn chlorides brought about a substantial increase in long-term polymer stabilization.Tensile tests revealed a large reduction in ductility as a result of aging for neat, Co and Ni doped polymer, whereas long-term retention of tensile properties was found for the polymer stabilized with Cu and Zn. The presence of the metal salts combined with KI led to increased stabilization for chlorides of Ni, and Co, owing to the participation of KI in non-radical decomposition of peroxides. No effect due to KI was observed for ZnCl₂.     

Effect of Doped Boron on the Properties of ZnO Thin Films Prepared by Sol-gel Spin Coating

Transparent conductive boron-doped ZnO thin films were prepared by sol-gel spin coating method. The effect of doped boron concentration on the properties of the films was systematically discussed. The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, spectrophotometry, and Hall effect measurement system. All the doped and undoped ZnO films were of a single hexagonal structure, and showed a preferred orientation of （002）. The particle size and surface roughness of the films decreased with increased doped boron concentration. All the films exhibited an average transmittance of approximate 90% in visible-light region and an energy gap of about 3.3 cV. The maximum carrier concentration, the highest carrier mobility and the lowest resistivity were observed at a doped boron concentration of 0.5%（molar fraction）. Based on these results, we suggested that the saturation concentration of doped boron in ZnO film is 0.5%（molar fraction）.     

Electroconductive polypyrrole doped with tetracyanoethylene anion radicals

An electroconductive polymer doped with tetracyanoethylene anion radicals was obtained by chemical oxidation of undoped polypyrrole. Its electronic absorption spectra were investigated. Broadening of the line of the EPR spectrum was observed when the anion radical was introduced into the polymer; this may be due to slow spin-spin exchange between the radical and the polar chain of the polymer.Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Éksperimental'naya Khimiya, Vol. 29, No. 3, pp. 260–263, May–June, 1993.This research was financed by the State Committee of Ukraine for Problems in Science and Technology from fundamental-research.     

Aspects of the thermal and photostabilisation of high styrene-butadiene copolymer (SBC)

The thermal and photo-oxidative stabilisation of high styrene-butadiene copolymer (SBC) with high styrene content (K-Resin) has been studied using a variety of analytical and spectroscopic methods including yellowness, luminescence and FT-IR spectroscopy coupled with hydroperoxide analysis in order to understand the nature and effectiveness of the processes involved. The next stage of the program was to evaluate the effects of various chemical/solvent treatments on the role of metal ions/residual catalysts and hydroperoxides in the thermal and photostabilisation of SBS as well as combinations of phenolic antioxidants and phosphites/phosphonites. Other additives, such as HALS and a metal deactivator, were also added to the combinations of phenolic and phosphite antioxidants in order to study their behaviour and efficiency. The chemical treatments appeared to stabilise SBS against thermal oxidation to a greater or lesser extent. Phosphoric acid treatment via reflux and zinc dithiocarbamate treatments showed better performances than the rest of the treatments, the latter was particularly effective at inhibiting the discolouration. During photo-oxidation, on the other hand, chemical treatments involving phosphoric acid and pre-thermal effects showed the importance of catalyst effects. The addition of phenolic antioxidants, phosphites/phosphonites, metal deactivator and HALS was found to stabilise the SBS against thermal and photo-oxidation. In thermal oxidation, the combination of Irganox^® 1010/Irgafos^® 168 was found to effectively stabilise the polymer when the finalisation of the polymerisation was with adipic acid. When the same antioxidants were used, but with polymer finalised with BHT, strong yellowing was observed and a higher amount of hydroperoxides and oxidation products. Increasing the amount of antioxidants did not increase the stabilisation efficiency. The stabilisation efficiency of Irganox^® 1010 combined with Alkanox^® P-24 was found to be more effective than when it was combined with Irgafos^® 168. The formulations containing Irgafos^® 168/Irganox^® 1010 and Irgafos^® 168/Irganos^® 1330 were more effective in colour protection and retarding the formation of oxidation products than the combinations of Irgafos^® 168/Irganox^® 3114 and Irgafos^® 168/Lowinox^® 1790. The effect of the addition of HALS, such as Tinuvin^® 770, Tinuvin^® 622 and Chimassorb^® 944, and a metal deactivator, such as Irganox^® MD 1024, to the combination of Irgafos^® 168/Irganox^® 1010 was found to be antagonistic. In photo-oxidation, a combination of Irganox^® 1010/Irgafos^® 168 protected the polymer efficiently, when the polymerisation of the polymer was finalised with adipic acid. When the polymerisation was finalised with BHT, a higher amount of hydroperoxides and oxidation products was found. An increase in the amount of antioxidants did not enhance the stability of the polymer. The addition of Alkanox^® P-24 exhibited an opposite effect to that seen in thermal oxidation, as the stabilisation efficiency was less effective than with Irgafos^® 168. The formulation containing Irgafos^® 168/Irganox^® 1010 was found to be the most efficient compared with the other phenolic antioxidants. The addition of Tinuvin^® 770 to the formulation Irgafos^® 168/Irganox^® 1010 was found to have a synergistic effect. The addition of polymeric HALS or Irganox^® MD 1024, a metal deactivator, had an antagonistic effect on the stabilisation of the polymer. Disruption of the excimer sites in the styrenic phase also correlated with stabilisation effects.     

Electrooptical and electrochemical properties of an ionic conjugated polymer,poly(2-ethynylpyridinum-N-benzoylsulfonate)

The electrooptical and electrochemical properties of a self-dopable ionic conjugated polyacetylene, poly(2-ethynylpyridinium-N-benzoylsulfonate) (PEPBS), were studied. The photoluminescence spectra of the polymer showed that the photoluminescence peak was located at 545 nm corresponding to the photon energy of 2.27 eV. The cyclic voltammograms of the polymer exhibited reversible electrochemical behaviors between the doped and undoped peaks. It was found from the dependence of the oxidation current density of the polymer on scan rate that the kinetics of the redox process was diffusion-controlled. The electrical conductivity (σ) of undoped PEPBS was 5.7 × 10⁻⁹ S/cm. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

磁控溅射制备的铜钒氧化物薄膜及其电化学性能

采用射频磁控溅射技术在硅基底上分别制备了无掺杂和掺杂Cu的氧化钒薄膜. X射线衍射(XRD)分析和扫描电子显微镜(SEM)观察表明, 无掺杂的薄膜为多晶V2O5, 掺杂Cu的薄膜为非晶态. X射线光电子能谱(XPS)分析结果表明, 掺杂Cu的薄膜为铜钒氧化物膜, 其中Cu离子表现为+2价, V离子为+4与+5价的混合价态. 随着Cu掺杂量的增大, +4价V的含量增加. 电化学测试结果表明, V2O5薄膜在掺杂Cu以后其放电容量有显著的提高, 其中Cu2.1VO4.4薄膜在100次循环后容量还保持为83.4 μA·h·cm-2·μm-1, 表现出较高的放电容量和较好的循环性能.     

The effects of annealing in inert atmospheres and of oxygen concentration on chemiluminescence from polypropylene

It has been shown that heating polypropylene powder under a nitrogen atmosphere leads to the significant prolongation of the oxidation induction time measured by chemiluminescence in oxygen at 130 and 140 °C. While heating in nitrogen from 0 to 4 h at 140 °C leads to the linear increase of oxidation induction time, the maximum chemiluminescence intensity I_stat increases with the time of sample annealing until 2 h; then it starts to decay. The different and sometime unknown thermal history of the sample may thus explain the scatter of induction times of oxidation observed with different PPs whether they be pure or stabilised. Maximum chemiluminescence intensity plotted vs. concentration of oxygen in the surrounding atmosphere at 130 and 140 °C also increases linearly; however, this does not correspond with very small reduction of oxidation induction time. The four-parametric “master equations” used in our earlier papers were applied to fit the chemiluminescence runs both in oxygen and in nitrogen. The equation operates with the rate constants of hydroperoxide decomposition and oxidation spreading but at the same time, it takes into account the possible effect of oxidation products on decomposition of hydroperoxides.