Study on Effect of the Degradation by Outdoor Weathering Test on the Impact Strength of Polypropylene Materials

Abstract

Study on effect of the degradation by 3-year outdoor weathering test on the impact strength of polypropylene (PP) materials was carried out with two mechanical tests (high-speed tensile test and SAICAS test) and micrographic observation of exposed surfaces and fractured surfaces. It was found that PP with the stabilizer indicates no decrease in impact strength within 3-year exposure, on the other hand, impact strength of PP without the stabilizer is reduced at early stage of the exposure. Especially, it became clear that SAICAS test detects the degradation by the outdoor weathering test at the earliest stage.