@article { ISI:000239458500013,
	title = {Photo-bio-degradability of agro waste and ethylene-propylene copolymers composites under abiotic and biotic environments},
	journal = {Journal of Polymers and the Environment},
	volume = {14},
	number = {2},
	year = {2006},
	month = {APR},
	pages = {203-212},
	publisher = {SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS},
	type = {Article},
	address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA},
	abstract = {<p>Composites were prepared by two methods, (i) graft copolymerization (GFC) of isotactic polypropylene (PP) with maliec anhydride, (MAH) followed by esterification with coir fiber and (ii) by direct reactive mixing (DFC) of polypropylene (PP) and ethylene-propylene (EP) copolymers with MAH and peroxide with coir fiber. These composites, after molding in films (5 x 5 cm, - 100 mu m thickness) were examined for susceptibility to biological attack by measuring the percentage weight loss in compost upto 6 months, periodically, and fungal colonization on surface of the samples, when kept as sole carbon source for the growth of Aspergillus niger in culture medium upto 40 days. Photodegradation was evaluated by monitoring the variations in FT-IR spectrum and crack formation after successive treatment with UV light (\&gt;= 290 nm) for 0, 20, 50 and 100 h at 60 C in the presence of air. Specimens of virgin PP were taken as a reference during all period of photo and biodegradation studies. Significant changes were observed depending on the preparation methods during photodegradation and biodisintegration of composites. DFCs samples were disintegrated faster than GFCs during the composting whereas, in culture, GFCs were covered highly in well uniform way by fungi. It was observed that photo-oxidative ageing directly enhanced the biodegradability of composites as the increase in fungal growth rate and decrease in weight during composting were found. It was concluded that extent of compatibilization had a profound effect on photo-oxidation and biodisintegration of composite material; consequently ester bonds were main units during fungal consumption. Composition of monomers in copolymers was also showing significant effect on the degradability which decreased with increasing content of ethylene in ethylene-propylene (EP) copolymers.</p>},
	keywords = {Biodegradation, biodisintegration and composting, composites, ethylene-propylene copolymers, photo-degradation},
	issn = {1566-2543},
	doi = {10.1007/s10924-006-0012-9},
	author = {Kumar, A. Pratheep and Pandey, Jitendra K. and Kumar, Bijendra and Singh, R. P.}
}
@article { ISI:000251014000004,
	title = {Photo-stabilization of EPDM-clay nanocomposites: effect of antioxidant on the preparation and durability},
	journal = {Polymers for Advanced Technologies},
	volume = {18},
	number = {11},
	year = {2007},
	note = {International Conference on Frontier in Polymer Science and Technology, Calcutta, INDIA, FEB 10-12, 2006},
	month = {NOV},
	pages = {891-900},
	publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS LTD},
	type = {Article},
	address = {THE ATRIUM, SOUTHERN GATE, CHICHESTER PO19 8SQ, W SUSSEX, ENGLAND},
	abstract = {<p>The present study is to examine the photo-stabilization effect of an antioxidant on the photo-oxidation of ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM)-clay nanocomposites. During the preparation of EPDM-clay nanocomposites via melt processing antioxidants are usually incorporated along with clay, which allows phenolic antioxidant molecules to get adsorbed onto acidic clay platelets and their interaction with metallic impurities reduces the stabilizing efficiency of the antioxidant. The nanocomposites were obtained by solution dispersion followed by melt compounding of EPDM and organophilic montmorillonite (OMMT). The samples were characterized by conventional tools such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infra Red (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA). It was found, upon photo-irradiation (lambda \&gt; 290 nm) studies by following the changes in functional groups and surface morphology, that photo-degradation was lowered by the antioxidant and the efficiency of the antioxidant could be improved by initial incorporation of antioxidant in the EPDM matrix. In EPDM-clay nanocomposites, a stabilizing activity of the antioxidant was observed above some threshold concentration of the antioxidant. The relationship between the nanoclay reinforcement and stabilizing efficiency in terms of photo-oxidation and surface morphology for their applicability are discussed. The methodology adopted for this study is also justified through our observation. Copyright (C) 2007 John Wiley \&amp; Sons, Ltd.</p>},
	keywords = {ethylene-propylene-diene monomer, nanocomposites photo-degradation antioxidant and stabilization},
	issn = {1042-7147},
	doi = {10.1002/pat.925},
	author = {Lonkar, Sunil P. and Kumar, A. Pratheep and Singh, Raj Pal}
}
