characterization of polymeric materials and their degradation products

everybody experienced the spatial smell of a new car, or when ride a car which was exposed for a long time to the sunshine. what causes it and is newcar smell bad for our health? most of the interior of an automobile consists of polymers and plastics held together with a number of polymeric adhesives and sealers. as a result of degradation/oxidation, polymers release volatile organic compounds which cause the smell. in this article, we will describe how degradation of polymers happens, how it effects on their performance and how polymeric materials can be characterized before and after degradation.