Investigating the influence of stress on UV-induced degradation in cellulose acetate: 

A comprehensive experimental characterization

Abstract: Renewable and degradable polymers have emerged in everyday applications ranging from mundane eating utensils to high-tech medical devices. However, the current literature lacks a thorough experimental characterization of the mechanical behavior change due to degradation. In this work, we characterize the microscopic chemical changes due to photo-degradation and resulting stress effects on the mechanical behavior of cellulose acetate, a renewable and degradable polymer that is used in various consumer products. Specifically, we photo-degrade this polymer under (i) traction-free conditions and (ii) under applied stress. A key finding of this work is that upon photo-degradation, this material undergoes chain scission, which affects its mechanical properties and may be further affected by the applied stress.

Details: 

• Alkhoury, K., Zhang, C., Liu, G., McEnnis, K., Brassart, L., Nadimpalli, S. P., & Chester, S. A. (2024). Investigating the influence of stress on UV-induced degradation in cellulose acetate: A comprehensive experimental characterization. International Journal of Solids and Structures, 305, 113086.