Role of temperature during ageing under gamma irradiation of filled EPDM: consequences on mechanical properties

Filled EPDM materials have been processed and aged by gamma radiation at ambient temperature and at 80 °C to study the influence of the fillers presence in the material degradation. The acceleration of the polymer degradation by the ATH fillers, evidenced when irradiation is performed at 25 °C, is also effective at 80 °C. In addition, in the case of silica‐filled EPDM, the creation of strong filler‐matrix bonds, already reported for irradiation at 25 °C, is also thermally activated; this enables to this material to keep its integrity at high irradiation dose, whereas the irradiated ATH‐filled EPDM is so degraded that it flows. Thus, the introduction of fillers in the polymer has an impact on its resistance to irradiation, whatever the temperature at which the irradiation is performed. Moreover, the consequences of the degradation on the evolution of the mechanical properties of the composite are very dependent on the filler nature. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 1319–1328, 2010     

Crystalline microstructure and mechanical properties of crosslinked EPDM aged under gamma irradiation

The morphology and the mechanical properties at room temperature of crosslinked EPDM irradiated or not have been studied. It has been shown that these materials are composed of two phases: semicrystalline zones with a crystallinity ratio of 20% and mainly amorphous zones. The semicrystalline zones make a continuous path through the film and therefore control the mechanical properties of the material below the melting temperature. As irradiation (in the tested range of irradiation dose) and crosslinking degree have no significant influence on the arrangement and proportion of the crystalline lamellae, all samples have nearly the same mechanical behavior at small strains. At large strains, the interactions between amorphous and crystalline parts in semicrystalline zones play the main role in the mechanical response; irradiation, by degradation of these interactions, leads to a smaller hardening phenomenon and a decrease in elongation at break. From an application point of view, in spite of the low crystallinity fraction of these materials, the presence of an important number of crystallites, as evidenced by SAXS measurements, strongly limits the consequences of irradiation on the mechanical properties. However, the mechanical reinforcement strongly depending on the presence of these crystallites, it is therefore highly sensitive to temperature: this can be an important issue for the applications of these materials since their use temperature is close to the crystallite melting temperature. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 97–105, 2010     

Sorbic acid as friendly curing agent for enhanced properties of ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber using gamma radiation

Sorbic acid (SA) is available in the market for low-cost and eco-friendly. It is known for using as a preservative. SA was used as a modifier together with gamma radiation to improve the properties of ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber (EPDM). The effect of SA concentration and gamma irradiation dose on the mechanical and physico-chemical properties of EPDM was investigated. The results indicated that the properties of EPDM rubber blended with SA were improved compared to untreated EPDM sample. The highest improvement was achieved by using SA concentrations of 10 phr (part per hundred part of rubber) a dose of 100 kGy of gamma irradiation. These findings were demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).     

Gamma irradiation degradation/modification of 5-ethylidene 2-norbornene (ENB)-based ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM) depending on ENB content of EPDM and type/content of peroxides used in vulcanization

In this study, the radiation degradation/modification of the vulcanized EPDM and the effects of dose rate, peroxide type/content in vulcanization system and ENB content of EPDM were studied to investigate the change in the extend of the modification/degradation of the mechanical properties of vulcanized EPDM via gamma irradiation. In addition, thermal, dynamic mechanical, ATR-FTIR, TGA, TGA-FTIR tests were carried out to understand the change of properties of vulcanized EPDM via irradiation.Samples were irradiated with two different dose rates of 1280 and 64.6 Gy/h. Total dose of irradiation was up to 184 kGy. The FTIR spectral analysis showed structural changes of EPDM via irradiation. It was observed that the dose rate changed the mechanical properties with different extends. The change of ENB content of EPDM and peroxide type and content in vulcanization system affect extend of the modification/degradation of the EPDM's properties.     

The effect of γ rays upon monohydrated asparagine. A DSC study

Crystalline non-irradiated and irradiated monohydrated asparagine was investigated by means of DSC. The samples were irradiated at room temperature with gamma radiations using a ¹³⁷Cs source. The exposure doses ranged between 1 and 12 kGy. All samples were scanned in non-sealed pans, from room temperature to a temperature beyond the melting point. The change of registered DSC thermograms for the irradiated samples compared to those of non-irradiated ones and the variation of the parameters associated to dehydration and melting—decomposition with the cumulative dose were analyzed. The study has put in evidence transformations related to the values of characteristic temperatures of peaks and to the thermal effects. The diffusion and desorption of water molecules is hindered by the free radicals formed by irradiation. The most stable free radical species is formed by the extraction of a hydrogen atom from the methylene group of the amino acid chain, done by another hydrogen atom, probably derived from a water molecule.     

PC/PET/EPDM共混体系的结晶与熔融行为

本文用解偏振光法与DSC法分别测定并研究了PC/PET/EPDM共混体系的结晶速度、结晶度、Avrami指数(n)和熔融温度及其影响因素,共混物中PET的结晶速度、结晶度均随PC含量增加而下降;EPDM用量不超过10%时,可提高PET的结晶速度,但不影响结晶度和成核与增长方式,n值不变。当EPDM为5%时,结晶速度呈现极大值。经退火处理的共混物呈现熔融双峰,PC量增加,高温熔融峰略移向高温方向;热处理温度升高或时间延长,则低温熔融峰移向高温方向。     

Irradiation of chemically crosslinked ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene

Acetabular cups for artificial hip joints were prepared by compression molding of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene in the presence of peroxide. Peroxide crosslinking led to a decrease in the degree of crystallinity, peak melting temperature, and recrystallization temperature, as well as decreased crystal perfection and size. Peroxide crosslinked cups were sterilized with gamma rays at room temperature in air atmosphere to an average dose of 3.4 Mrad. Irradiation produced further crosslinking in amorphous regions plus extensive chain scission of taut tie molecules and led to increased crystallinity and crystal perfection. A significant increase in carbonyl concentration was determined for irradiated specimens. In general, peroxide crosslinking reduces the effect of irradiation on the crosslinked network, because chemical crosslinking stabilizes chain fragments resulting from radiolytic scission and suppresses recrystallization of broken chains from amorphous regions. Wear rates were much lower for chemically crosslinked cups, which showed about one-fifth of the wear of control cups for the period from 0.5 to 1.0 million cycles. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

RADIATION CROSSLINKING OF BIODEGRADABLE POLY(BUTYLENE SUCCINATE) AT HIGH TEMPERATURE

Poly(butylene succinate), (PBS) with different molecular weight was γ-irradiated at different temperatures and various doses. PBS with high molecular weight and smaller peak area of crystal melting gave the highest gel content at the same temperatures and dose. A two-step irradiation (irradiation in molten state after irradiation at room temperature) gave the highest gel content in different conditions. This is due to the formation of network structure by pre-irradiation at room temperature that leads to less degradation. PBS prepared by two step irradiation was effective for improvement of heat stability because of high gel content formation. Unirradiated PBS sheets broke immediately at 110°, while the irradiated sample (gel fraction, 50%) by a two step-method, did not break even up to 200 minutes at 130°C. The PBS sheets are biodegradable even after crosslinking.     

Thermal and crystallization behaviour of gamma irradiated PLLA

Structure, crystallization behaviour and some thermal properties of poly-l-lactide (PLLA), gamma irradiated up to 300 kGy, have been studied. Through differential scanning calorimetry measurements, radiation-induced changes were evident in the enthalpy of melting and cold crystallization, as well as in the degree of crystallinity. Decay of the glass transition, cold crystallization and melting temperatures with irradiation dose was observed in all cases. The annealing treatment, which can substantially reduce the concentration of free radicals, also had a great impact on thermal/crystallization behaviour of irradiated PLLA. Extensive chain scission, as a dominant effect of gamma irradiation, confirmed by gel permeation chromatography, has as a consequence a growth of new thin crystal lamellae and occurrence of the second low-temperature melting peak. Thermogravimetric analyses have shown that irradiation lowered the thermal stability of PLLA.     

The effects of gamma rays upon monohydrated and anhydrous asparagine: a DSC study in sealed pans

Non-irradiated and gamma irradiated monohydrated (l Asn·H₂O) and anhydrous (l Asn) asparagines, in solid state, were studied by means of DSC. The samples were irradiated at room temperature with gamma radiations using a ¹³⁷Cs source. The exposure doses ranged between 1 and 10 kGy. All samples were scanned in sealed pans, from room temperature to a temperature beyond the melting point. The DSC scans of l Asn·H₂O samples in sealed crucibles revealed the presence of two dehydration processes and one of decomposition and only decomposition in the case of l Asn. The influence of gamma irradiation consisted in decreasing the enthalpy of dehydration and of decomposition. A decomposition mechanism is proposed.     

Differential scanning calorimetry studies of irradiated polyethylene: II. The effect of oxygen

The effect of absorbed doses of ionizing radiation up to 2MGy in the presence of air on the melting behavior of high- and low-density polyethylene was analyzed from data obtained by differential scanning calorimetry. Thermal measurements were made during the first melting after irradiation. The first melting temperature of polyethylene irradiated in air decreased with increasing absorbed dose. Above approximately 0.6 MGy bimodal endotherms were observed for high-density polyethylene. The heat of fusion remained unchanged after irradiation in air for absorbed doses of less than 2 MGy. Bimodal endotherms were not obtained for low density polyethylene samples irradiated in air. The changes in melting temperature and the appearance of bimodal endotherms are related to the radiation chemistry of polyethylene in the presence of oxygen.     

Modelling molecular weight changes induced in polydimethylsiloxane by gamma and electron beam irradiation

A commercial linear polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was subject to gamma irradiation under vacuum and in air, as well as to accelerated electron beam radiolysis (EB). All irradiation treatments were done at room temperature. The molecular weight changes induced by the radiation processes have been investigated using size exclusion chromatography (SEC) with refraction index (RI) and multi angle laser light scattering (MALLS) detectors to obtain the number and weight average molecular weights of the irradiated samples.

The analysis of the data indicates that crosslinking reactions predominated over scission reactions in all cases. Gamma irradiation under vacuum was the most efficient process within the analyzed dose range, reaching the gel point earlier. Irradiation in the presence of oxygen induces oxidative effects, both in gamma and EB irradiations. A previously developed mathematical model of the irradiation process that accounts for simultaneous scission and crosslinking and allows for both H and Y crosslinks fitted well the measured molecular weight data.     

THE EFFECT OF IRRADIATION ON THE POLYETHERKETONE WITH CARDO GROUP

The effects of irradiation on the polyetherketone with cardo group (PEK-C) were studied. It was found that PEK-C can be crosslinked by irradiation under vacuum, while degradation reaction occurred in PEK-C at room temperature in the presence of air. Moreover. it was also found that Ts value of the crosslinked PEK-C at high temperature is higher than that at room temperature in the case of the same gel content, whose value is about 8℃higher than that of unirradiated PEK-C. The gelation dose of PEK-C at 300℃under vacuum is 1.5×10~4 Gy, which is about hundred times smaller than that at room temperature.     

Effects of gamma-radiation on natural rubber vulcanizates under tension

The effect of γ-radiation on natural rubber vulcanizates under mechanical strain has been investigated with reference to the effect of antidegradants, fillers and vulanization system. Samples were irradiated in the dose range of 5–15 Mrad in air at room temperature (25°C) at a rate of 0.3 Mrad/h. Sol content and volume fraction of vulcanizates were also determined to gain insight into the network structure of the irradiated vulcanizates. Natural rubber vulcanizates undergo molecular scission which in effect cause a decrease in tensile strength. Generally the 300% modulus increases, the increment being more prominent at lower radiation dose. The fall in tensile strength is also high at higher doses of radiation. Carbon black and antidegradants protect rubber from γ-radiation.     

Influence of Gamma Radiation on Electrical Conduction of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) at Ambient Temperature

The electrical conduction in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) exposed to a gamma radiation dose of 150 kGy was investigated in the applied field range from 4 to 36 kV/mm. Samples were irradiated in air at room temperature by means of a ⁶⁰Co gamma source at a dose rate of approximately 42 Gy/min. The electrical properties of virgin and irradiated materials were examined by charging and discharging current measurements. The current decays with time can be represented according to an inverse power law. The changes of dielectric behavior after irradiation were attributed to scission effects.     

New Structure Formation on γ-irradiation of Poly(chlorotrifluoroethylene)

The radiation chemistry of PCTFE at different temperatures has been studied. The polymer was irradiated under vacuum to absorbed doses of up to 1500 kGy. Three irradiation temperatures were chosen. These included ambient temperature, a temperature well above the T_g and a temperature above the crystalline melting temperature. These were 298, 423 and 493 K, respectively. The formation of new structures was identified by solid-state FTIR and ¹⁹F NMR. No branching was observed below the melting temperature, but branches were observed above the melting temperature. G-values for chain-end formation were 1.5 and 2.4 at room temperature and 423 K, respectively and the G-value for the formation of double bonds was found to be <0.1. For the irradiations at 493 K, the G-values for the formation of chain ends, double bonds and branching points were 3.6, 0.2 and 0.5, respectively. The presence of long-chain branches within the polymer structure could not be proven for radiolysis at 493 K, but scission predominates and network formation does not occur upon irradiation. DSC studies of the polymers irradiated at ambient temperature were consistent with chain scission leading to an increase in the percentage crystallinity, as observed for other fluoropolymers.     

Irradiation effects on the C–V and G/ω–V characteristics of Sn/p-Si (MS) structures

In this paper, we have investigated the effects of ⁶⁰Co gamma (γ)-ray source on the electrical properties of Sn/p-Si metal–semiconductor (MS) structures using the capacitance–voltage (C–V) and conductance–voltage (G/ω–V) measurements before and after irradiation at room temperature. The MS structures were investigated in the frequency range 20–700 kHz irradiation effects on the electrical properties of Sn/p-Si MS structures before irradiation, and after irradiation, these structures were exposed to ⁶⁰Co γ-ray source irradiation with the dose rate of 2.12 kGy/h and the total dose range was 0–500 kGy at room temperature. It was found that the C–V and G/ω−V curves were strongly influenced with both frequency and the presence of the dominant radiation-induced defects, and the series resistance was increased with increase in dose. On the other hand, the interface state density (N_ss) as depended on radiation dose and frequency was determined from C–V and G/ω–V measurements, and the interface states densities decreased with increase in frequency and radiation dose.     

Effect of post-irradiation thermal treatments on the stability of gamma-irradiated glass dosimeter

A commercial window glass has been investigated as a routine high dose dosimeter for gamma irradiation. The irradiated samples showed rapid fading at room temperature immediately after irradiation. This short-term rapid fading was followed by a slow fading at long-term. This strong initial fading is a problem for dosimetry purposes. However, when the dosimeter is measured at the same time interval after irradiation, it maintains proportionality to dose. Calibration curves have to be used for different time intervals after irradiation. In order to improve post-irradiation stability dosimeters were submitted to different post-irradiation thermal treatments from (−20) up to 150 °C. After that, optical absorbance measurements were carried out up to 2 months at room temperature. The heating at 150 °C for 20 min was found to be the most suitable procedure for the removal of unstable entities responsible for the initial rapid fading. Due to these heat treatments, variation of response was found almost negligible 24 h after irradiation for several months. Calibration curves demonstrated the applicability of this glass as routine dosimeter in the dose range of 0.5–90 kGy.     

Influence of silica fillers during the electron irradiation of DGEBA/TETA epoxy resins, part II: Study of the thermomechanical properties

This work describes the influence of silica fillers on the thermomechanical properties of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A/triethylenetetramine (DGEBA/TETA) epoxy resins during ageing under electron beam irradiation. Whatever be the silica filler (pure micrometric ground and spherical silicas, nanometric silicas and coupling agent treated silicas), the glass transition temperature of the epoxy resins decreases with increasing irradiation dose, meaning that the main effect of the irradiation is chain scission. No influence of the silica fillers has been detected from the changes in the glass transition temperature with the increase in the irradiation dose. The disappearance of the cooperativity of the γ relaxation, the decrease of the α relaxation and the decrease of the elastic modulus at the rubbery plateau observed by dynamic mechanical analyses involve a decrease in the crosslink density of the epoxy resins. The occurrence of chemical reactions between the epoxy resin and the silica surface at high irradiation doses has been shown. Moreover, we show evidence that chemical reactions between the epoxy resin and the silica surface occur at high irradiation dose.     

Blends of normal high density and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, γ irradiated at a low dose

The kinetics of a nonisothermal crystallization and melting of irradiated with dose of 6 Mrad blends of an ultra-high molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and a high-density polyethylene with normal molecular weight (NMWPE) is investigated by means of DSC. The blends have been prepared at temperature below the flow temperature of UHMWPE: The enthalpies of melting of the polyethylenes increase, while those of their blends decrease after irradiation. The enthalpies of crystallization of the pure polyethylenes are higher, while those of their blends almost do not change or are a bit higher after irradiation. The rates of a nonisothermal crystallization and melting of the polyethylenes increase, while those of the polyethylenes in the blends decrease after irradiation. Thermomechanical measurements under constant load in wide-temperature interval of irradiated polyethylenes and their blends have been made. A high-elastic plateau in viscous-liquid state is established on the thermomechanical curves of UHMWPE, and the blends with high content of UHMWPE. On the basis of results obtained assumptions have been made about the processes taking place in the blends under the action of irradiation, as well as about the character of the mutual influence between the components in the process of irradiation.