Thermal-structural analysis of polymers for the manufacture of cases for outdoor pollutants monitoring devices

Polylactic acid (PLA) has been considered as a base material for the manufacture of cases used in the protection of electronic devices due to its easy handling and low cost; however, it does not have suitable properties for outdoor applications. Based on the above, this work presents the analysis of alternative materials to PLA such as ultra-high density polyethylene (UHDPE), polypropylene (PP) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). Samples are necessary for their analysis, therefore the procedure for the manufacture of plates by compression molding is presented. Thermal characterization, chemical analysis and mechanical stress tests will be applied to the samples. As a result, properties such as hygroscopicity, degradation onset temperature and ductility will be known, which will be evaluated to determine a suitable polymeric matrix for the application.