Peroxide off-gassing analysis: Typical polymer degradation creates radicals and peroxides during the natural breakdown of the material.  The small molecule peroxides that form are suspected of off-gassing from the material during degradation.  However, this has never been demonstrated or studied to any extent.  We plan to use air handling apparatus to purge the air above a degrading polymer and measure the level of peroxides that are off-gassing from the material.  This information will be used in directing the creation of non-invasive oxidation sensors that can determine the condition of a degrading polymer in its early stage.

The research focus is:

• determine materials that have the potential for off-gassing peroxides as they degrade
• adapt current methodologies for detecting hydrogen peroxide

By determining the materials that are known to off-gas peroxides when they degrade, we will be able to test the sensitive of our peroxide chemical sensors and develop a non-invasive means for detecting early degradation of polymeric artifacts.