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Life expectation of polycarbonate

1985; Wiley; Volume: 25; Issue: 9 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1002/pen.760250905

1548-2634

A. Ram, O. Zilber, S. Kenig,

Material Properties and Processing

Abstract Polycarbonate (PC), one of the leading engineering plastics, suffers from deterioration under harsh environmental conditions. It is sensitive to the effects of light (UV) radiation, to thermal degradation, and to the attack of hot water, due to hydrolysis. By exposure of various commercial PC grades—at various molecular weights and stabilization—to either natural or accelerated conditions, a maximum lifetime of three years was predicted for the best‐behaving grades. The criterion for failure was mainly based on loss of ductility in tensile tests, as well as loss of optical clarity and chain scission. Hot water has a significant effect on the performance of PC samples, and this is considered to be its greatest weakness. Degradation after exposure at various temperatures (without UV or humidity) leads to estimation of a temperature‐endurance index, that may serve as a practical limiting criterion for polymer life expectancy.