This study aims to compare the effect of the type of polyethylene matrix (HDPE, LLDPE) and evaluate the role of pro-oxidant additive on the degradation of PE film samples. The degradability of HDPE, LLDPE films without and with pro-oxidant (0, 1 and 3% w/w) was studied. | Vietnam Journal of Chemistry, International Edition, 54(6): 683-687, 2016 DOI: Comparison of the degradability of various polyethylene films containing pro-oxidant additive Pham Thu Trang*, Nguyen Quang Huy, Nguyen Van Khoi, Pham Thi Thu Ha, Nguyen Thanh Tung Institute of Chemistry, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology Received 26 July 2016; Accepted for publication 19 December 2016 Abstract This study aims to compare the effect of the type of polyethylene matrix (HDPE, LLDPE) and evaluate the role of pro-oxidant additive on the degradation of PE film samples. The degradability of HDPE, LLDPE films without and with pro-oxidant (0, 1 and 3% w/w) was studied. Thermo-oxidative degradation of PE films was carried out in an oven at 80 o C for a maximum period of 7 days. The progress of thermo-oxidative degradation was measured by monitoring physical and chemical changes of films such as mechanical properties, FTIR and SEM. The results showed that, whatever the pro-oxidant used, the HDPE matrix is less efficiently oxidized than LLDPE matrix. Tensile strength and elongation at break decreased during treatment. FTIR traces exhibited that carbonyl group’s peak in the region 17001800 cm-1 arises during thermal treatment as a result of oxidation. The degradation rate of PE films increased by increasing the amount of pro-oxidant additive incorporated. Keywords. Pro-oxidant, thermo-oxidation, polyethylene, degradation. 1. INTRODUCTION Plastics are a major contributor to the waste problem facing all societies. This has led to the development of different types of environmentally friendly polymeric materials. In particular, the use of biodegradable polymers has greatly increased in several applications. Polyethylene (PE) films containing pro-oxidant additives in their formulations have been introduced in outdoor plastics markets as new promising biodegradable materials. Primary applications of these degradable materials are mainly in the .
