Influence of radiation intensity upon photo‐oxidation of unstabilised PVC

Abstract

Abstract Films of unstabilised PVC have been exposed to xenon‐arc irradiation at various levels of intensity within a limited temperature range, and the rates of photo‐oxidation have been determined by infra‐red spectroscopy. It has been found that the rate of reaction is directly proportional to radiation intensity measured in absolute units, and that transposition of time and radiation intensity is valid. The consequences of this finding have been discussed in terms of reaction mechanism and acceleration of the time scale for oxidation of PVC under artificial exposures to the xenon‐arc, compared with outdoors exposure to solar radiation at Melbourne and London.