Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopic study of plasticization effects on the photodegradation of poly(fluorostyrene) isomers films

Abstract

The photodegradation of poly(fluorostyrene) isomers with different amounts of phthalate and terephthalate plasticizers has been investigated with the aid of Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy. Photo irradiation was carried out with light from a Hydrogen‐Xenon lamp at 265 nm and 293 K. As irradiation time increased, changes occurred in the structure of the polymers due to the destruction of polymeric chains and the formation of new photo products during the degradation. The photo products caused shifts, an increase or decrease of the polymer vibrational frequencies, as well as changes in numerous infrared band intensities. The increase in the intensities of the analyzed ranges is attributed to the formation of carbonyl, hydroxyl, and aliphatic ketones and to the increase in the number of polyene structures that resulted from hydrogen abstraction during photodegradation reactions. The analysis of the Fourier‐transform infrared spectra of the irradiated and nonirradiated samples showed a noticeable formation of a new broad band centered at (1,727 cm−1, C=O), assigned to the growth of aliphatic ketones formerly from the reaction of reactive alkoxy radicals. Its intensity was found to increase with the increase in irradiation time and also with the increase in the amount of added terephthalate and phthalates plasticizer, indicating an increase in the efficiency of the photo degradation process. Trends of photostability of these isomers were found such that poly(para‐fluorostyrene) > poly(meta‐fluorostyrene) > poly(ortho‐fluorostyrene). The photodegradation process for these plasticized isomers was found to increase by the increase in the bulkiness of the plasticizer molecule. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 24:75–83, 2018. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers