UV photodegradation of polypropylene thick bars containing rutile-type TiO2 nanorods

Surface modified rutile-type titanium dioxide (CST) nanorods were used as a UV absorber in polypropylene (PP) thick bars in combination with the hindered amine light stabilizer (HALS) Chimassorb® 944 (C944). For all of the tested samples, the photodegradation was mainly limited in the region near the exposed surface, as proved by the carbonyl index and molecular weight. Compared with the typical HALS photostabilization system containing organic hindered phenol UV absorber Tinuvin® 328 (T328), the thickness of photodegradation region for PP/C944/CST was only a quarter to that for PP/C944 and PP/C944/T328, while the rates of reduction in molecular weight and increase in carbonyl index were much lower. Optical microscopic observation showed that the evolution of surface micro-cracks in PP/C944/CST was quite different from that in the other samples, while scanning electronic micrographs revealed that the depth of the micro-cracks in PP/C944/CST was much shorter than that in the others. It is therefore concluded that the protection of CST on PP thick bars is mainly attributed to the outstanding UV-shielding and cracks-blocking abilities.