Improved Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation Stability of the Polypropylene (PP) Films of Woven Jumbo Bags for Outdoor Applications

Several formulations were developed with polypropylene (PP) in combination with antioxidants, calcium stearate, hindered amine light stabilizers (HALS) and ultraviolet light absorber (UVA) for making woven jumbo bags, which will be capable of carrying a load of two tons of materials in outdoor conditions. Thin films of these formulations were extruded followed by stretching to improve mechanical properties. Both stretched and un-stretched PP films were subjected to severe accelerated weathering by ultraviolet (UV) radiation for various periods and it was observed that un-stretched films reached 50% retention of tensile strength (TS) within 500 hours of exposure, while stretched films (tapes) did not reach 50% TS retention even after 10,500 hours of the exposure indicating an improved UV stability of the stretched films of PP.