Factors influencing the thermal oxidation of polyethylene

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Abstract
The thermal stability of polyethylene containing conventional antioxidants is adversely affected by contact with copper, by certain pigments, and by the addition of a few percent of polypropylene as a processing aid. Polyethylene inhibited with 0.1% of phenolic antioxidants has approximately the same oxidative stability when in contact with a copper surface as the unprotected polymer. A mechanism is suggested to account for the loss of stability in the presence of copper. Pigments vary in the extent to which they adversely affect the oxidative stability of polyethylene. Since several factors may combine to decrease the stability of protected polyethylene compositions, as determined by accelerated tests, it is essential that their contribution under service conditions be determined. The predicted life at temperatures encountered in service is determined by extrapolating accelerated test data to that constant temperature which is calculated to cause the same degree of degradation as would occur during the daily and seasonal temperature cycles encountered in use.