The UV stability of polyethylene pipes with different comonomer content: Effect of carbon black masterbatch

The relationship between career resin of carbon black (CB) masterbatch and the performance of bimodal polyethylene pipes (PE100) under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and the long-term stability of black PE100 with different comonomer content have been investigated. For this purpose, two different CB masterbatches varying in carrier resin were selected and added to two PE100 pipes. Samples were exposed to UV irradiation, and then thermal, mechanical, and rheological properties were explored using differential scanning coloriemetry (DSC), tensile, and rheometry analyses. Additionally, Fourier transformed-infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) has been performed to characterize the structural changes of PE100 samples under UV irradiation. According to rheological results, the PE100 sample containing more comonomer underwent a higher degree of degradation. Thermal and mechanical results reveal that the masterbatch composed of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) as carrier resin has a better influence on PE pipes' UV stability with less comonomer content.