Discoloration mechanism of polymer surface in contact with air–water interface

The white-colored inner surface of a polypropylene (PP) material containing water discolored and turned yellow. The discoloration occurred selectively on the surface at the point of contact with the air–water interface. Since the polymer surface was exposed to water in darkness at room temperature, no sign of deterioration or degradation of the polymer at the discolored surface was confirmed. This study conducts an in-depth analysis of the discoloration mechanism of the polymer surface. A variety of technical approaches, including microscopic, spectroscopic, and chromatographic analysis techniques, were used to investigate the nature of discoloration and the root cause. From the analysis results, the discoloration was ascribed principally to a phenol transformation compound having the structure of a quinone methide, which was identified as a degradation product of a primary antioxidant. Based on the observations and experimental results, a plausible discoloration mechanism was proposed.