Effect of Environmental Weathering on the Flammability Behavior of Polycarbonate Sheet

Abstract

Polycarbonate sheet installed as windows in a house in Newton, Massachusetts, was subjected to natural weathering for a period of 12 years. The surface of the sheet turned yellow. The coating material on the surface was peeled off, then the exposed layers of polycarbonate surface carefully removed. The DSC of the exposed surface showed multiple transitions compared to a con trol which showed only one T_g . TGA studies showed early weight loss for the ex posed polycarbonate compared to the control. Flammability studies including Oxygen Index, Radiant Panel, OSU Heat Release Rate Calorimetry and NBS Smoke Chamber showed an increase in the flammability of exposed sheet com pared to a 12 year aged control. Reasons for this increase in flammability are discussed.

Keywords

polycarbonate weathering UV degradation hydrolytic degradation surface degradation flammability environmental weathering.

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