There is no way to know how long plastics will last when exposed to UV radiation. Several things will affect the time it takes for UV degradation to occur. Both ambient temperature and humidity will accelerate the effects of UV. Other factors are stratospheric ozone, clouds, altitude, the position of the sun height (time of day and time of year), and reflection.
All types of UV can cause a photochemical effect within the polymer structure, leading to the degradation of the material. The higher energy UVC is the type most likely to affect plastics.
Title: Is there any way to know how long a plastic will last out in the sun?
Description: All types of UV can cause a photochemical effect within the polymer structure, which can lead to degradation of some sort to the material.
Published: 12/11/2009
Last Edited: 1/17/2023
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