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What types of degradations that can take place in polymers and ceramics?

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Step-by-step explanation:

Polymer degradation is a change in the properties of the polymer – such as tensile strength, color, shape, molecular weight – or of a polymer-based product under the influence of one or more environmental factors, such as heat, light, chemicals, or any other applied force.

  • Photoinduced degradation: Electromagnetic waves with the energy of visible light or higher, such as ultraviolet light, X-rays and gamma rays are usually involved in such reactions.
  • Thermal degradation: Chain-growth polymers can be degraded by thermolysis at high temperatures to give monomers, oils, gases and water. This kind of degradation can happen by pyrolysis, hydrogenation or gasification:
  • Chemical degradation: it can happen through many mechanism such as oxidation, ozone cracking, galvanic actior or Chlorine-induced cracking
  • Biological degradation: by microorganisms to give lower molecular weight molecules

In the case of ceramics, environmental factors are the major cause. There are several ways in which ceramics break down physically and chemically

  • Physical degrdation: from mishandling, impacts and abrasion, frost and mold growth
  • Chemical degradation: because of water and soluble salts

I hope you find this information useful and interesting! Good luck!

User Brian David Berman
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