Carboxylation of a linear low density polyethylene via gamma irradiation in presence of carbon dioxide in subcritical and supercritical conditions

Abstract In this work the molecular modifications induced in a linear low density polyethylene gamma irradiated in presence of carbon dioxide both in subcritical and supercritical conditions are presented. The obtained results indicate that this process can be a new and interesting way in order to graft oxidized groups in the polyethylene chains. Moreover it is worth noting that, together with these functionalization reactions, also a significant crosslinking occurs, with improvement in some mechanical tensile behaviour.

Molecular modifications—Mechanical behaviour relationships for gamma irradiated LLDPE/PA6 blends

Abstract The molecular modifications, due to γ radiation under vacuum, of linear low density polyethylene/polyamide 6 blends are presented and related to their mechanical behaviour. Solubility and melt viscosity tests indicate that in blends the polyethylene component undergoes mainly crosslinking phenomena, whereas the main effect on polyamide is chain branching. According to these molecular modifications, the most relevant effect is the increase of the tensile modulus for the polyethylene rich blends and the increase of the impact strength for the polyamide rich blends.

Physical and structural characterization of blends made with polyamide 6 and gamma-irradiated polyethylenes

Abstract Morphological, calorimetric and rheological results of blends made with polyamide 6 and polyethylene gamma irradiated in air are presented. The polar oxidized groups grafted in the poliolefin chains through gamma-radiation induce “compatibilization” effects in the blends with a more uniform and finer distribution of the polyethylene “phase” in the polyamide matrix, with respect to blends made with the unirradiated polymer. This effect, observed with polyethylenes of different molecular structure, i.e. low density, linear low density and high density, was attributed to the presence of interactions among the functional oxidized groups of the polyethylene chains and the polyamide. Tes…

Structure and properties of nylon 6 modified by ?-irradiated linear low density polyethylene

In this work, structure and properties of blends of nylon 6 with 10% linear low density polyethylene γ-irradiated in air at different integrated doses are presented. More particularly, Molau tests, DSC, SEM, and mechanical tests have been performed. Results show that positive morphological changes with respect to the blend with unirradiated linear low density polyethylene are well evident, especially in the blend with polyethylene irradiated at 50 KGy. This blend also shows an enhancement of the elongation at break and of the impact properties.

The effect of the composition on the properties of?-irradiated ethylenevinyl alcohol copolymers

Two ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymers (Eval E and Eval F with about 45% and 25% of ethylene respectively) have been irradiated in air in the dose range 0–200 Mrad. The irradiated samples show both crosslinking and degradation; the former effect is more relevant in the copolymer with a larger content of polyethylene. Calorimetric results show that both the crystalline and the amorphous phases are involved in the reactions initiated by the irradiation.

Structural modifications in an irradiated ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer

Extraction experiments and calorimetric measurements have been performed, on a commercial ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer irradiated in the dose range 0–20 Mrad.

Microgels of polyaspartamide and poly(ethylene glycol) derivatives obtained by γ-irradiation

Abstract The copolymer PHG based on α , β -poly( N -2-hydroxyethyl)- dl -aspartamide (PHEA) functionalized with glycidyl methacrylate has been exposed in aqueous solution to a γ -ray source at different irradiation doses (2, 2.5 and 3.5 kGy), alone or in combination with poly(ethylene glycol)dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) or poly(ethylene glycol)diacrylate (PEGDA). The irradiation produces microgel systems that have been characterized by viscosity measurements. Lyophilization of microgels gives rise to samples able to swell instantaneously in water whereas their treatment with acetone produces swellable microparticles that have been characterized.

Gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric and microbiological analyses on irradiated chiken

Ionizing radiation is widely used as treatment technique for food preservation. It involves among others reduction of microbial contamination, disinfestations, sprout inhibition and extension of shelf life of food. However, the commercialization of irradiated food requires the availability of reliable methods to identify irradiated foodstuffs. In this paper, we present results on the application to irradiated chicken of this method, based on the detection, in muscle and skin samples, of the peaks of ions 98 Da and 112 Da, in a ratio approximately 4:1, typical of radiation induced 2-dodecylcyclobutanones (2-DCB). Aim of the work was also to study the time stability of the measured parameters…

Polymerization of methyl methacrylate through ionizing radiation in CO2-based dense systems

Herein, we report the use of ionizing radiation to induce a dispersion polymerization reaction in dense CO2. As a model system, the polymerization of methyl methacrylate in the presence of poly(dimethylsiloxane) stabilizers was investigated. It was demonstrated that the dose plays the key role in the progress of the reaction and in the morphology of the resulting polymer. Dispersion polymerization carried out in the presence of mono- and bifunctionalized surfactants gave differently structured polymers. The polymers obtained have been characterized by scanning electron microscopy, solubility tests, and gel permeation chromatography, and the molecular structure has been related to dynamic me…

Effects of gamma-irradiation on trehalose–hydroxyethylcellulose microspheres loaded with vancomycin

Ionizing radiation can be used as a drug sterilization technique, provided that the drug itself is not modified and that no toxic products are produced; moreover, if the irradiated product is a drug delivery system, the drug release characteristics must not be significantly altered by radiation. The aim of this work was to study the effects of sterilization by ionizing radiation on hydroxyethylcellulose/trehalose spherical micromatrices, containing the antibiotic vancomycin. Our experimental results showed that gamma-rays did not alter the chromophore groups of vancomycin (UV measurements), and did not modify the kinetic behavior of drug release from microspheres. Moreover, no significant c…

Evaluation using m.c.n.p. code of the bremsstrahlung energy spectrum produced by interactions between structural materials and accelerated electrons

Abstract In order to design the biological shield of industrial accelerator plants, it is needed to have a good knowledge of the bremsstrahlung energy spectrum and the intensity of the bremsstrahlung produced by electron interactions with both products (usually water equivalent) and structural materials such as concrete, iron, aluminium. Using the MCNP code, a normalized bremsstrahlung energy spectrum was obtained for materials with average atomic number lower than or equal to 13 and irradiated with 5 and 10 Mev electrons, respectively; multiplying the spectrum by suitable coefficients, it was possible to obtain the real spectrum for materials such as water, concrete, aluminium and iron. Th…

Ionizing radiation induced curing of epoxy resin for advanced composites matrices

Abstract The radiation curing of an epoxy monomer in the presence of an iodonium salt, as photo initiator, is studied. Systems with different concentrations of photo initiators have been polymerized via both gamma rays and e-beam, at various dose rates. The aim of this work is to investigate how the photo initiator concentration and the irradiation dose rate affect the temperature of the systems during curing and how the different thermal histories influence the dynamic mechanical thermal properties of the obtained materials.

Novel epoxy formulations for high energy radiation curable composites

Abstract It has been widely recognised that high energy radiation can be effectively applied to the cure of epoxy resins in applications as composite matrices or structural adhesives with improvements in product quality and/or reduction in production costs. In the presence of suitable initiators, polymerisation of epoxies occurs via cationic mechanism, thus restricting the choice of the resin system components to species which do not contain electron donor groups. The present investigation is aimed to identify suitable co-monomers to be formulated with an epoxy resin, resulting in different cure reaction kinetics and application properties of the cured resin. In particular, four different a…

A commercial low density polyethylene was irradiated by gamma irradiation at room temperature with different integrated doses and dose rates. The modifications induced in the material were studied by means of solubility and swelling measurements and related to structural modifications by calorimetric measurements. Results indicate that crosslinking prevails with respect to degradation at high dose rates and that the ageing phenomena occur essentially in the amorphous phase. Ein kommerzielles Polyethylen niedriger Dichte wurde bei unterschiedlicher integrierter Dosis und unterschiedlicher Dosisleistung bei Zimmertemperatur mit Gammastrahlung behandelt. Die Veranderungen des Materials wurden …

Structural induced modifications in blends of polyamide with gamma irradiated low density polyethylene

Abstract Blends of gamma irradiated and unirradiated low density polyethylene and polyamide 6 were made in order to study possible modifications induced by this irradiation. Results indicate that blends with gamma irradiated polyethylene have structure and properties significantly different with respect to blends made with the unirradiated one. This difference has been ascribed to the formation of functionalized groups in the polyethylene chains, which interact with polyamide.

Mechanical properties-structure relationship in blends of polyamide 6 with γ-irradiated LDPE

Blends of γ-irradiated and unirradiated low density polyethylene with polyamide 6 were made in order to study possible modifications induced by this irradiation. Blends with γ-irradiated polyethylene show structure and properties significantly different with respect to blends made with the unirradiated polyethylene. In this paper data on mechanical properties (tensile and impact) of these blends are presented. Results are related to the different morphologies in the blends.

Application of the ESR spectroscopy to estimate the original dose in irradiated chicken bone

Abstract The paper discusses the results of an investigation aimed to use the ESR spectroscopy as a quantitative procedure to estimate the original dose in irradiated chicken. The time stability of the ESR signal was at first carried out, to obtain a correction factor to be applied to the dose estimated with the added dose method. Our results show that this procedure gives an estimation of the original dose within ±25%.

Properties and morphology of PMMA/ABN blends obtained via MMA in situ polymerisation through γ-rays

Abstract Methylmethacrylate polymerisation in the presence of 4 wt% butadiene-acrylonitrile rubber was carried out at fixed dose-rate and temperature. The effect of irradiation was investigated with respect to the mechanical and dynamic-mechanical properties in the solid state. A general increase of the “compatibilisation” on irradiation is obtained. In fact both rubber and polymethylmethacrylate glass transition temperatures, determined through dynamic-mechanical analysis, reveal the presence of strong interactions between the components. Furthermore an improvement of the mechanical tensile properties of the blends is observed when irradiation is continued after polymerisation, at least un…