Investigation of Photo Degradability of LDPE Loaded with Organophilic Montmorillonite Clay in Comparison with the Polymer Films Containing Photosensitizer of Benzophenone

Nanocomposites consisting of polyolefin’s matrix and organically modified montmorillonite (a layered silicate clay, OMMT) have received considerable attention from the scientist around the world, as they exhibit enhanced physical and mechanical properties at very low amounts of the filler, usually less than 5 wt % [1-2]. However, during the last few years several research groups [3-5] have reported that incorporation of the clay nano-particles into PE or PP accelerates photo-oxidative degradation of these polymers.In the present work the efficiency of OMMT in promoting the rate of photo-oxidation degradation of LDPE films upon exposure to sunlight has been investigated in comparison with that of a conventional photoactive additive: benzophenone (BP). It was the purpose of this study to find out if OMMT is as much as effective that can be used as a photosensitizer additive for combating pollution caused by LDPE film as packaging disposals.