Effective UV radiation dose in polyethylene exposed to weather

In this work we quantified the effective UV radiation dose in orange and colorless polyethylene samples exposed to weather in the city of Aguascalientes, Ags. Mexico. The spectral distribution of solar radiation was calculated using SMART 2.9.5.; the samples absorption properties were measured using UV-Vis spectroscopy and the quantum yield was calculated using samples reflectance properties. The determining factor in the effective UV dose is the spectral distribution of solar radiation, although the chemical structure of materials is also important.