The main visible effect is that the plastic will appear chalky and fade. The surface of the plastic becomes brittle. This usually only affects the surface layer of the material and usually does not extend beyond a 0.5mm depth. However, stress concentrations caused by the highly brittle nature of some plastics may well lead to complete failure.
Title: In what ways does UV affect plastic?
Description: The visible affects of UV damaged polymers.
Published: 12/11/2009
Last Edited: 1/5/2023
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