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Combined effect of artificial aging and fatigue on the mechanical, structural, and morphological properties of polystyrene

2020 1 citation ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Karollyne Gomes de Castro Monsores, Anderson Silva, Suzane de Sant’ Ana Oliveira, Ricardo Pondé Weber, Paulo Feliciano Soares Filho, Larissa Gomes Simão, Eduardo de Carvalho, Sérgio Neves Monteiro

Summary

This study found that combining UV-B exposure with mechanical fatigue significantly accelerated the degradation of polystyrene, reducing molecular weight and mechanical strength beyond what either stressor caused alone. This combined weathering process accelerates microplastic formation from polystyrene products in outdoor environments.

Polymers
PS

The mechanical, structural, and morphological properties of polystyrene (PS) under fatigue combined with accelerated aging were investigated. The results revealed that under the condition of fatigue (tension–tension) combined with UV-B exposure, in the periods of 336 and 575 h, the mechanical resistance presented is lower when compared to PS subjected to only fatigue. The modifications produced by the irradiation were evaluated by physical-chemical tests, which resulted in changes in the properties of the degraded materials, such as reduced molecular mass due to chain cleavage and increased crystallinity. The predominant failure mechanism in mechanically fractured specimens was also influenced by irradiation, so that the hardening of the surface layer was characterized by Vickers microhardness.

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