review · Polymers
Exposure to outdoor conditions such as sunlight, air, heat, and moisture causes polymeric materials to degrade over time. This breakdown occurs through polymer chain cleavage and oxidation reactions, resulting in reduced mechanical performance, colour fading, haziness, and surface cracking. Accelerated weathering testing offers a practical approach for evaluating and comparing material photodegradation over manageable timeframes. Understanding these processes covers degradation mechanisms across both conventional plastics and bio-based alternatives. Evidence from accelerated weathering testing demonstrates measurable consequences for the structural integrity of conventional polymers and biocomposites. In addition, the degradation process produces emissions of volatile organic compounds. Methods to evaluate and characterise these chemical emissions from aged plastics and biocomposites provide essential data on how materials break down in outdoor environments.
Outdoor conditions steadily break down plastics and bio-based composites, compromising structural strength and releasing volatile chemical emissions into the surrounding environment. Understanding how materials degrade under environmental stress helps researchers and developers assess material lifespan, maintain safety, and anticipate chemical emissions before deploying new polymer formulations in outdoor settings.
Accelerated weathering methods and emissions testing support manufacturers and materials developers seeking to validate the durability of conventional plastics and biocomposites for outdoor applications. By assessing loss of mechanical strength and volatile organic emissions under accelerated conditions, developers can compare candidate materials at early to intermediate testing stages.
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Polymeric materials undergo degradation when exposed to outdoor conditions due to the synergistic effects of sunlight, air, heat, and moisture. The degradation can lead to a decline in mechanical properties, fading, surface cracking, and haziness, attributed to the cleavage of the polymer chains and oxidation reactions. Accelerated weathering testing is a useful technique to evaluate the comparative photodegradation of materials within a reasonable timeframe. This review gives an overview of the different degradation mechanisms occurring in conventional plastics and bio-based materials. Case studies on accelerated weathering and its effect on the mechanical properties of conventional plastics and biocomposites are discussed. Different techniques for analysing volatile organic emissions (VOCs) have been summarized and studies highlighting the characterization of VOCs from aged plastics and biocomposites after aging have been cited.
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DOI: 10.3390/polym16081103
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