POLY(BUTYLENETEREPHTALATE) PHOTOLYSIS AND PHOTOOXIDATION - IDENTIFICATION OF THE IR-ABSORBING PRODUCTS

Irradiations (lambda greater-than-or-equal-to 300 run) of poly(butyleneterephtalate) films were carried out in both vacuum and air. Photoproducts were investigated by FTIR spectroscopy, chemical derivatization reactions and physical treatments. The repartition of photoproducts in the polymer was shown to be heterogeneous. A scheme accounting for the main routes of PBT photolysis was found on the basis of photoproducts identification. Most of oxidation products were analogous to vacuum photolysis species; the mechanism of photooxidation proposed implied both pure photolytical processes and a photo-induced oxidation route.