How does UV affect plastic?
When absorbed by plastics, UV energy can excite photons. This, in turn, can create free radicals. Then, before you know it, degradation occurs, as catalyst residues will often act as receptors. The fact is, lots of pure plastics simply cannot absorb UV radiation, putting your project and its components at severe risk.
How does UV radiation affect polymers?
UV radiation causes photooxidative degradation which results in breaking of the polymer chains, produces radicals and reduces the molecular weight, causing deterioration of mechanical properties and leading to useless materials, after an unpredictable time.
Can UV radiation pass through plastic?
Long wave UV passes easily through plastic and glass. Short wave ultraviolet light (100 to 300 nm) is used to kill bacteria, hasten chemical reactions (as a catalyst), and is also valuable in the identification of certain fluorescent minerals.
What materials are affected by UV degradation?
This damage, called UV degradation, affects many natural and synthetic polymers including some rubbers, neoprene and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). With too much exposure, these materials can: Fade color.
Does UV-C light damage plastic?
All types of UV can cause a photochemical effect within the polymer structure, which can lead to degradation of some sort to the material. The higher energy UVC is the type most likely to affect plastics. Absorbed UV energy can excite the photons in a plastic. Exciting the photons can create free radicals.
Does UV light yellow plastic?
This yellowing happens thanks to a flame retardant called bromine in those old ABS plastics. When exposed to UV light, those bromine molecules can destabilize and leech through to the surface, causing the plastic to turn yellow (or even brown if left long enough).
Does UV-C react with plastic?
Actually the greenhouse plastic(s) and the PVC pipe(s) DO react to each other over time. The plastic will degrade rather quickly where it touches PVC pipe with those specific sections of plastic NOT lasting as long as the “untouched” areas.
How long does it take UV light to break down plastic?
Plastic is mostly decomposed by UV radiation, and it takes two years to more than 1 million years to decompose it.
Does UV-C damage plastic?
What is UV resistant plastic?
Acrylic. Acrylic is among the only manufacturing materials that is inherently UV-resistant. It is a transparent plastic that suffers as little as 3% degradation over a 10-year period when used in outdoor applications. Acrylic also offers good scratch resistance, making it an excellent choice for long-term use.
How does sunlight affect polyethylene?
The light causes the bonds holding the polymer together to break which weakens the plastic.
Can UV-C damage electronics?
[8] Additionally, UV-C light is harmless to HEDs, whereas it has been shown to only be harmful for devices after many hours of continuous exposure, similar to the effect of direct sunlight.