Weathering-induced oxidation: An investigation of artificially aged polystyrene samples using Laser-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

Abstract

This study discusses weathering-induced oxidation of polystyrene with and without different concentrations of the antioxidant Irgafos using Laser-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). By examining the spectral feature of oxidation and due to laser ablation, a systematical analysis of the oxygen content on the sample’s surface and its penetration depth could be conducted. The results show that LIBS can be used as a fast technique for the quantification of weathering-induced oxidation.

Keywords

• Laser-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy
• Weathering-induced oxidation
• Polystyrene
• Plastic degradation
• Surface and depth profile analysis