Nzimande, Monwabisi CyrilMtibe, AsandaTichapondwa, Shepherd MasimbaJohn, Maya Jacob2025-05-262025-05-262024-04-16Nzimande, M.C.; Mtibe, A.; Tichapondwa, S.; John, M.J. A Review of Weathering Studies in Plastics and Biocomposites—Effects on Mechanical Properties and Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). Polymers 2024, 16, 1103. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16081103.2073-4360 (online)10.3390/polym16081103http://hdl.handle.net/2263/102509Polymeric materials undergo degradation when exposed to outdoor conditions due to the synergistic effects of sunlight, air, heat, and moisture. The degradation can lead to a decline in mechanical properties, fading, surface cracking, and haziness, attributed to the cleavage of the polymer chains and oxidation reactions. Accelerated weathering testing is a useful technique to evaluate the comparative photodegradation of materials within a reasonable timeframe. This review gives an overview of the different degradation mechanisms occurring in conventional plastics and bio-based materials. Case studies on accelerated weathering and its effect on the mechanical properties of conventional plastics and biocomposites are discussed. Different techniques for analysing volatile organic emissions (VOCs) have been summarized and studies highlighting the characterization of VOCs from aged plastics and biocomposites after aging have been cited.en© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.WeatheringAgingCarbonyl indexPlasticsBiopolymersBiocomposites VOCsVolatile organic emissions (VOCs)Article