Findings pertaining to polyethylene photooxidation

The kinetics and mechanisms of photolysis of the hydroperoxides formed on thermal oxidation of polyethylene have been investigated. The difficulties to explain the results by the generally accepted decomposition mechanism based on homolytic splitting of the hydroperoxy bond are discussed. New mechanisms of hydroperoxide photolysis are proposed. The intermolecular reactions considered account for the main products found experimentally, ketones and trans-vinylene groups. They are also in agreement with the kinetics of product formation. The intramolecular photolysis reactions envisaged seem to involve a small amount only of the hydroperoxides present in polyethylene after thermal oxidation. However, they affect directly the mechanical properties of the polymer because they involve main-chain scission.     

Post-irradiation oxidation of different polyethylenes

The radiation-induced oxidative degradation of polyethylenes (PEs) with different degrees of crystallinity was characterized after electron-beam irradiation and during storage at room temperature.UHMWPE, HDPE, LDPE, LLDPE and an ethylene-octene copolymer (Engage) were e-beam irradiated to 30 or 60 kGy in vacuum or in air and stored at room temperature in air. EPR spectroscopy was used to investigate macro-radicals produced during irradiation and their post-irradiation changes. FTIR spectroscopy was used to monitor changes in the polymer structure, induced by irradiation, and to follow post-irradiation oxidation.We found that the crystallinity and the size of the crystalline lamellae, in particular, play a major role on the post-irradiation effects. The low-crystallinity polyethylenes showed no oxidation or oxidation only to a small extent, even when irradiated and stored in air. On the contrary, development of post-irradiation oxidation was observed in HDPE and UHMWPE. We attribute these results to a different reactivity of the macro-alkyl radicals formed upon irradiation in the amorphous or in the crystalline phase. While the radicals formed in the amorphous phase decay in short time, the migration time of the radicals trapped in the crystalline phase to the amorphous one is a key factor, governing the oxidation process.     

Photo-oxidation of polymers: Part X—The photo-oxidation of an ethylene-propylene copolymer initiated by benzophenone

An EPM film containing benzophenone quickly becomes insoluble on irradiation in air at 365 nm. The ketone initially acts as a photo-initiator of the oxidation of the polymer but later on, when the local concentration of oxidation products is high enough, the photo-oxidation proceeds via the sensitized decomposition of hydroperoxides. The vacuum photolysis of a preoxidized EPM film indicates that carboxylic acids are produced by decomposition of hydroperoxides hydrogen bonded to ketones.     

Thermal and photo-degradation of unstabilized ABS

Thermal- and photo-stabilities of unstabilized acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene terpolymer, ABS, have been investigated by i.r. spectroscopy. Degradation of ABS samples is initiated by attack on the polybutadiene (PB) component; oxidation products containing hydroxyl and carbonyl groups are produced. The effect of prior thermal processing is to introduce into the polymer hydroperoxides arising from oxidative destruction of PB-unsaturation; these hydroperoxides act as catalysts during subsequent u.v. irradiation. The insolubility of degraded samples of ABS is associated with the formation of cross-linked structures and occurs mainly in the PB segment. It is concluded that the degradation characteristics of ABS are essentially those of the polybutadiene component.     

Acid‐Mediated Formation of Radicals or Baeyer–Villiger Oxidation from Criegee Adducts

The acid‐mediated reaction of ketones with hydroperoxides generates radicals, a process with reaction conditions similar to those of the Baeyer–Villiger oxidation but with an outcome resembling the formation of hydroxyl radicals via ozonolysis in the atmosphere. The Baeyer–Villiger oxidation forms esters from ketones, with the preferred use of peracids. In contrast, alkyl hydroperoxides and hydrogen peroxide react with ketones by condensation to form alkenyl peroxides, which rapidly undergo homolytic O? O bond cleavage to form radicals. Both reactions are believed to proceed via Criegee adducts, but the electronic nature of the peroxide residue determines the subsequent reaction pathways. DFT calculations and experimental results support the idea that, unlike previously assumed, the Baeyer–Villiger reaction is not intrinsically difficult with alkyl hydroperoxides and hydrogen peroxide but rather that the alternative radical formation is increasingly favored.     

The role of hydroperoxides as a precursor in the radiation-induced graft polymerization of methyl methacrylate to ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene

A graft polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) to ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) with Co-60 γ-ray irradiation in air at room temperature has been carried out. The grafting yields were measured as a function of the storage time (elapsed time from the end of irradiation to the start of grafting), and it was found that the yields reach at the maximum values at around several days since the end of irradiation. In order to clarify the precursor of the graft polymerization, changes of the radical yields and the carbonyl groups were measured as a function of storage time with ESR and microscopic FT-IR, respectively. From the similarities between the depth profiles of the hydroperoxide formation and the grafting products, it was concluded that the hydroperoxides can be main precursors of the grafting of the radiation-induced polymerization of MMA to UHMWPE under the given conditions.     

The chemical effects of photo-oxidation on butadiene rubber

The photo-oxidation of butadiene rubber (BR) was studied in detail using films of a commercially available material, containing 33% cis-1,4-, 56% trans-1,4- and 12% 1,2-vinylic units. The spectral data of the products showed that during photo-oxidation the following functional organic groups are formed: hydroperoxides, alcohols, ketones, carboxylic acids and esters. ¹³C-NMR spectroscopic evidence for the formation of epoxides is presented. By comparison with spectra of model compounds, signals were assigned to ester and carboxylic acids in the allylic position of the oxidized polymer. The presence of ketones and carboxylic acids was also proved by chemical methods. It could be demonstrated that the formation of ketones, carboxylic acids and esters occurs from the photolysis of the OO bond of the hydroperoxides. Kinetic measurements with films containing benzophenone showed a strong increase in the quantum yield for the formation of products in comparison with the pure polymer sample. The opposite effect is observed with films containing the commercially used anti-oxidant, 2,6-di-t-butyl-p-hydroxytoluene. Also, the quantum yield for formation of the oxidation products decreases with increase in the light intensity. This result shows that cross-linking plays an important role in the photo-degradation of BR.     

Thermal oxidation products and kinetics of polyethylene composites

The thermal oxidation behavior of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) composites was investigated at 60 °C, 90 °C and 110 °C, using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The inorganic fillers do not modify the thermal oxidation mechanisms of HDPE. However, they have great effects on the thermal oxidation kinetics—both the activation energy and the pre-exponential factor increase. That means that although the addition of inorganic fillers retards the onset of thermal oxidation of HDPE, once the oxidation begins, it proceeds much faster than that of HDPE. Stability evaluation of HDPE composites by TGA was not consistent with the result by FTIR. The inorganic fillers influence the oxidation products and their distribution greatly. HDPE/STC and HDPE/mica oxidations were delineated by large amount of carbonyl formation, especially esters and ketones, while HDPE/wollastonite and HDPE/diatomite showed minimum carbonyl formation. In HDPE composites, there is a good relation between the carboxylic formation and the carbonyl index.     

Oxidation behaviour in prosthetic UHMWPE components sterilised with high energy radiation in a low-oxygen environment

Oxidation of the UHMWPE component during sterilisation with high energy radiation has been recognised as one of the main problems affecting the durability of orthopaedic implants. Oxidation is always present in radiation-sterilised polymeric components due to the oxygen diffused into UHMWPE. Hydroperoxides are the first products of the oxidation cycle and they are also a convenient species to follow for monitoring the oxidation. In the present study, the early stages of oxidation were investigated by assessing the hydroperoxide levels and distribution in a selection of ready-to-use UHMWPE prosthetic components. The samples included in the study were chosen from a larger group, according to the following criteria: they were packaged in a low-oxygen environment, radiation-sterilised and carbonyl free. FTIR spectroscopy and derivatisation techniques were used to characterize the hydroperoxide concentration and distribution. Hydroperoxides were detected in all samples, despite the sterilisation in inert atmosphere. Three different behaviours were identified and discussed and a correlation with the packaging and sterilisation conditions is proposed.     

Surface studies of ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene irradiated with high‐energy pulsed electron beams in air

Ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) was irradiated in air with high‐energy (9 MeV), pulsed electron beams to doses ranging from 2.5 to 100 Mrad and subsequently heat treated at 120°C for a time period of 120 min. Surface characterization of the target side of irradiated UHMWPE samples was carried out both before and after the heat treatment by means of attenuated total reflection Fourier‐transform infrared (FTIR/ATR) spectroscopy and microhardness measurement. The obtained results provided further evidence supporting our earlier observation (Tretinnikov, O. N.; Ogata, S.; Ikada, Y. Polymer 1998, 39, 6115) that thermal decomposition of hydroperoxides formed upon irradiation of UHMWPE with high‐energy, pulsed electron beams in air leads to surface crosslinking, and the subsequent surface hardening of the irradiated polymer. Importantly, we found that this phenomenon has the highest contribution to the surface hardness enhancement of the polymer when the radiation dose is in the range of 10–30 Mrad. In addition, we found that this irradiation and subsequent heat treatment of UHMWPE in air does not lead to formation of carbonyl‐containing products unless the radiation dose exceeds 20 Mrad. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 1503–1512, 1999     

Some aspects of polyethylene photooxidation

The hydroperoxides produced by thermal oxidation of LDPE films were used to study their photolysis. Product analysis, kinetics of hydroperoxide decomposition and product formation as well as experiments with model compounds point to new mechanisms of hydroperoxide photolysis. Intermolecular as well as intramolecular decomposition mechanisms are proposed. In polyethylene, these reactions are essentially non-initiating. In addition, it is confirmed that ketones such as those formed by oxidation of polyethylene do not have a significant initiating effect. Reactions of excited charge-transfer complexes polyethylene-oxygen are proposed to account for initiation of photo-oxidation. One of these reactions yields trans-vinylene groups and hydrogen peroxide whose direct decomposition or subsequent photolysis will generate hydroxyl radicals. It is found that this reaction is quenched very efficiently by small amounts of HALS (Hindered Amine Light Stabilizers) and by amines in general. It is postulated that quenching is due to energy transfer from the charge-tranfer complex polymer-oxygen to a charge-transfer complex HALS-oxygen or amine-oxygen. The data available so far support such a mechanism.     

聚乙烯光引发交联过程中的表面光氧化和光稳定

通过测定凝胶含量并利用红外-光声光谱和光电子能谱对光交联聚乙烯表面氧化程度和氧化产物进行了研究.结果表明,聚乙烯光交联过程中随着光照时间的增加,表面光氧化加剧,氧化产物主要是氢过氧化物和含羰基的化合物.考察了预辐照和添加受阻胺型光稳定剂对聚乙烯光交联过程的影响,发现这两种方法都能有效地降低光交联聚乙烯(XLPE)的表面氧化,但有些光稳定剂会降低XLPE的交联度.     

Oxidation behaviour in prosthetic UHMWPE components sterilised with high-energy radiation in the presence of oxygen

UHMWPE orthopaedic components are commonly sterilised by high-energy radiation. In the last 10 years, many studies pointed out that irradiation in air can lead to an oxidative degradation of the polymer, but the correlation between the sterilisation conditions and the amount and distribution of the oxidation products in the prosthetic components is still unclear.In the present study, a large number of never implanted, gamma sterilised prosthetic components have been analysed by using FTIR micro-spectroscopy and derivatisation techniques. Based on the obtained oxidation profiles, the samples were divided into three groups and a correlation between the oxidation products and their distribution and some sterilisation parameters have been proposed. Presence of oxygen, dose rate and temperature were found to play a highly relevant role in determining the whole oxidation degree and its distribution in the UHMWPE components.     

Stabilisation of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene with Vitamin E

Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) has been the material of choice for load-bearing articular components used in total joint arthroplasty in the past 30 years. However, the durability of the whole implant has often been compromised by oxidation of UHMWPE components. Since the use of a suitable, biocompatible stabilizer would minimize this inconvenience, the possibility of adding synthetic Vitamin E to medical grade UHMWPE is currently under investigation.In the present work, medical grade UHMWPE was blended with 0.05, 0.1 or 0.5 w/w% of α-tocopherol and consolidated by compression moulding. Small blocks of reference UHMWPE and of each blend were then gamma irradiated to 30 or 100 kGy. FTIR spectroscopy was used to monitor changes in both the polymer and the additive. Thin sections of virgin and α-tocopherol doped UHMWPE irradiated and unirradiated were aged in a ventilated oven at 90 °C and the kinetic of oxidation was followed by FTIR. In addition, CL-imaging curves were recorded at 180 °C on both irradiated and unirradiated samples.Phenol loss is observed in all the α-tocopherol doped samples upon irradiation. Hypotheses on the rearrangements of the additive structure include the formation of quinonoid products. Nevertheless, all the additive-containing samples exhibit better oxidation resistance compared to the virgin material, indicating stabilizing activity of the α-tocopherol derivatives.     

Determination of spatial distribution of oxidation products in ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene by staining with sulphur dioxide or hydrochloric acid

Treating a sample of oxidised ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) with SO₂ will cause a reaction between SO₂ and hydroperoxides in the sample, forming a hydrosulphate group. During subsequent heat treatment the hydrosulphate group will leave as sulphuric acid, and a double bond will form in the polymer chain. During this step the sample turns brown. This browning has previously been used to determine the spatial distribution of oxidation in PP. The aim of this work was to apply this also to UHMWPE and to determine what causes the browning and how well it corresponds to the true distribution and concentration of hydroperoxides. The possible future use of the technique to determine the spatial distribution of oxidation in UHMWPE has also been evaluated.The true nature of the browning has been difficult to establish, but it seems to originate from a charge transfer complex between the double bonds and the sulphuric acid. A similar type of coloration develops in oxidised UHMWPE, when it is treated with hot hydrochloric acid. However, in that case the coloration is proportional to the carbonyl concentration and has been concluded to originate from the oxonium ion formed by protonation of ketones. The coloration of both SO₂/heat-treated samples and samples treated with hot hydrochloric acid can be used to give a qualitative picture of the spatial distribution of oxidation in UHMWPE. The techniques have been applied to study the heterogeneous oxidation in badly consolidated UHMWPE. It was found that the very good spatial resolution gave information about the heterogeneous oxidation that is not possible to obtain when using other techniques, such as FTIR mapping and imaging chemiluminescence.     

Photo- and thermo-oxidation of poly(p-phenylene-vinylene) and phenylene-vinylene oligomer

This paper reports a study of the photo- and thermo-degradation of poly(p-phenylene-vinylene)-type (PPVs) materials, including a five-ring n-octyloxy substituted phenylene-vinylene oligomer (Ooct-OPV5) and poly(p-phenylene-vinylene) (PPV). The modifications in the chemical structure of the thin films submitted to UV-visible light irradiation and thermal oxidation were analysed with infrared spectroscopy, and the oxidation products were identified by derivatisation reactions. Results showed that the photochemical and thermal behaviour of the Ooct-OPV5 oligomer was similar to that of MDMO-PPV (poly[2-methoxy-5-(3′,7′-dimethyloctyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene), which is a polymer used in organic solar cells. Additionally, the identification of the products resulting from the oxidation of the vinylene bonds was simpler in Ooct-OPV5 and PPV compared to MDMO-PPV In contrast, the oxidation mechanisms of PPV, which has no ether substituent, and MDMO-PPV are not identical; the disappearance of the double bonds in PPV does not involve the formation of aromatic ketones. It was also shown that the absence of ether substituents does not decrease the rate of photo-oxidation of PPV compared to MDMO-PPV. Finally, as the same mechanisms proposed for Ooct-OPV5 and PPV occur under both photo- and thermo-oxidative conditions of ageing, this confirms that singlet oxygen does not play a decisive role in the photo-oxidation of PPVs.     

Photosensitized and photostabilized oxidation of poly(2,6-dimethyl- 1,4-phenylene oxide) with metal isopropylxanthates

This work describes the results of the Cd(II) isopropylxanthate-stabilized and Mn(III) isopropylxanthate-sensitized photo-oxidation of poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) film in air at low temperatures (?10 to 80°). The oxidation was followed by light scattering, potassium ferri-oxalate actinometry and by measuring gel formation. The weight-average molecular weight, degree of degradation, rate of scission of links, energy of activation and quantum yield of the process depend on several factors, e.g. temperature, xanthate concentration. Various oxygen-containing groups (hydroperoxides, carbonyls, etc.) are formed in the polymer. For the determination of the content of these groups, iodometry and spectroscopy were applied. The initially present or photo-induced hydroperoxides are directly responsible for subsequent oxidative reactions which occur during 254-nm irradiation. The absorption spectra of the degraded materials in the u.v. and i.r. regions were also studied to substantiate a possible mechanism of the oxidation process.     

Methods for determining the spatial distribution of oxidation in ultra-high molecular-weight polyethylene prostheses

Oxidative degradation is a well-known problem for UHMWPE used in prostheses. The aim of the present study has been to find suitable techniques to study the spatial distribution of this oxidation in 8 retrieved acetabular cups. The techniques used were visual examination using an optical microscope and computer scanner, FTIR mapping, imaging chemiluminescence, and staining with SO₂ and HCl. The staining technique is based on a previous study which showed that by treating oxidized UHMWPE with SO₂ followed by heat treatment, the hydroperoxides present in the sample react with the SO₂ and discolor the sample. The intensity of this discoloring is, at low levels of oxidation, proportional to the amount of hydroperoxides and accordingly to the level of the oxidation. The same study also showed that staining a sample with hot HCl resulted in a brown discoloration which was proportional to the amount of carbonyls. It was found that the staining techniques do not give as much information about the chemical and physical changes in the material as FTIR mapping but have a great advantage in better spatial resolution of the oxidation and are also much quicker and easier to use. Imaging chemiluminescence turned out not to be a suitable method to use, compared to the other two, since it gives less information and is more difficult to interpret.When interpreting the results from the different techniques used, it was found that all cups showed the typical oxidation behavior of gamma sterilized UHMWPE. All cups but one showed substantial wear of the articulating surface but very little backside wear. Examination of the oxidation and whitening profile suggests that at least some of the oxidation must have occurred in vivo.     

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.     

FTIR study of gamma-irradiated cis-1,4-polyisoprene

The effect of γ-irradiation on the structure and oxidation of cis-1,4-polyisoprene is investigated by ATR-FTIR technique. This method provides the valuable insight into the type of oxidation products produced and the extent and nature of intramolecular cyclization and chain scission reactions. The formation of ketones, alcohols and/or ethers, and hydroperoxides is apparent already at small doses of γ-radiation and it increases with the exposure time significantly. At the highest dose of 309 kGy a decrease in the intensity of C=O stretching mode of ketones (1717 cm⁻¹) was observed while the overall area of the band remained the same as in the case of 188 kGy dose. The shoulders observed at 1740 cm⁻¹ and 1772 cm⁻¹ could be assigned to C=O stretching frequency of esters and five-membered-ring lactones, respectively. Higher doses of γ-radiation also cause the formation of two relatively strong bands in the region of conjugated double bonds. These could origin from the aromatic products or cycloenes with one double bond formed by cyclization and chain scission processes.