Polymers in the ocean: understanding long-term durability and degradation—a review
Abstract
Polymers are employed extensively in marine environments due to their resistance to corrosion, reduced weight compared to metals, and lower maintenance costs. However, the harsh marine environment, characterized by seawater, oxygen, UV radiation, and mechanical stresses, significantly affects the long-term performance of polymer-based structures. This study describes the impact of water interaction on polymer ageing and the consequences for mechanical behavior. While oxidative and biodegradation mechanisms are known to have significant effects, this review concentrates on the ubiquitous interaction between water and polymers. The paper examines water absorption mechanisms, the factors that influence them, and the resulting physical and chemical effects on polymers. It provides insights into the relationship between water-polymer interactions and the mechanical performance of marine polymers, offering a foundation for the design of more durable materials and improved service life prediction in challenging aqueous environments, as well as the understanding of plastic fragmentation in the ocean. The findings underline the need for accelerated ageing studies to predict polymer durability in service, emphasizing the importance of replicating natural degradation pathways for reliable lifetime estimations.
Related
- Spatial Inhomogeneity of Thermal Degradation of Semi-Crystalline Polymers
- Uncovering Chemical Degradation Pathways in Amide-Functional Sulfur Polymers for Room-Temperature Na-S Batteries
- Multi-Scale Degradation Behavior and Durability of BF-WEP Modified Concrete Under Saline Environments
- Hydrogen Production from Ionizing Radiation-Induced Degradation of Polycarboxylate Ether Polymers La Production d'Hydrogène issue de la Dégradation du PolyCarboxylateEther par les Rayonnements Ionisants
- Understanding oxygen reduction/evolution reaction and degradation mechanisms on BaCo0.4Fe0.4Zr0.1Y0.1O3-δ electrode in protonic ceramic electrochemical cells via the distribution of relaxation times analysis
BibTeX
@article{gac2026polymers,
title = {{Polymers in the ocean: understanding long-term durability and degradation—a review}},
author = {Pierre Yves Le Gac and Maelenn Le Gall and Corentin Humeau and Mael Arhant and Peter Davies},
journal = {npj Materials Degradation},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1038/s41529-026-00780-1},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05854038v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Polymers in the ocean: understanding long-term durability and degradation—a review
AU - Pierre Yves Le Gac
AU - Maelenn Le Gall
AU - Corentin Humeau
AU - Mael Arhant
AU - Peter Davies
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/05
JO - npj Materials Degradation
DO - 10.1038/s41529-026-00780-1
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05854038v1
AB - Polymers are employed extensively in marine environments due to their resistance to corrosion, reduced weight compared to metals, and lower maintenance costs. However, the harsh marine environment, characterized by seawater, oxygen, UV radiation, and mechanical stresses, significantly affects the long-term performance of polymer-based structures. This study describes the impact of water interaction on polymer ageing and the consequences for mechanical behavior. While oxidative and biodegradation mechanisms are known to have significant effects, this review concentrates on the ubiquitous interaction between water and polymers. The paper examines water absorption mechanisms, the factors that influence them, and the resulting physical and chemical effects on polymers. It provides insights into the relationship between water-polymer interactions and the mechanical performance of marine polymers, offering a foundation for the design of more durable materials and improved service life prediction in challenging aqueous environments, as well as the understanding of plastic fragmentation in the ocean. The findings underline the need for accelerated ageing studies to predict polymer durability in service, emphasizing the importance of replicating natural degradation pathways for reliable lifetime estimations.
SN - 2397-2106
SN - 2397-2106
ER -