Effect of stabilizer and pigment on photodegradation of polypropylene as revealed by macromolecule scission and crosslinking measurements

Photodegradation depth-profiles have been generated using computer-aided molecular weight distribution analysis for 3 mm thick polypropylene injection moldings containing (i) a stabilizing package that included hindered amine light stabilizers and a phenolic stabilizer, (ii) titanium dioxide pigment and (iii) both the pigment and the stabilizing package. The inhibiting effect of the additives has been determined quantitatively by comparing macromolecule scission and crosslinking rates with those in samples containing no stabilizer or pigment. TiO₂ pigment gave more effective protection against molecular degradation than the stabilizer package; there was very little advantage to be gained by adding stabilizer when the pigment was present. The inhibition caused by having pigment or stabilizer present was measured to be very large: degradation was reduced by at least a factor of 10 and often by a factor of several hundred times. The relative amount of scission and crosslinking differed according to the additives present and the depth from the exposed surface: high reaction rates favoured scission and lower reaction rates resulted in a higher relative crosslinking concentration.