Effect of the combination of a benzophenone-type ultraviolet absorber with thermal stabilizers on the photodegradation of poly(vinyl chloride)

The effect of the combination of a UV absorber (Chimassorb 81) with different types of thermal stabilizers, including an organic calcium complex and an organotin mercaptide, on the photodegradation of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) was investigated by color difference measurements, UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric (TG) analysis, and viscosity-average molecular weight determination. Films of PVC containing 0.5 phr of Chimassorb 81, with and without 2 phr of a thermal stabilizer, were prepared by solution casting. Then the accelerated UV weathering of the films was carried out under xenon light with an irradiance of 0.51 W/(m² · nm) at 65°C. The results showed that both Chimassorb 81 and the mixture of Chimassorb 81 with the organic calcium complex showed good behavior in inhibiting the photodehydrochlorination and photooxidation of PVC. In contrast, the combination of Chimassorb 81 and methyltin mercaptide significantly accelerated initial color development during the final 200 h of exposure because of the UV sensitivity of the organotin. Moreover, when Chimassorb 81 and the methyltin mercaptide were used together to stabilize PVC films, the expected antioxidant effect of the mixture was not observed, in contrast to the behavior found with other stabilized systems, perhaps because the Chimassorb 81 had been depleted by the methyltin mercaptide during the UV irradiation. The TG analysis revealed that ultraviolet irradiation had caused severe destruction of the PVC chains. However, addition of Chimassorb 81 or the combination of Chimassorb 81 with the organic calcium complex effectively prevented the destruction, as was demonstrated by changes in the activation energies for thermal degradation.