Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Vol.86, No.5, 1296-1302, 2002
Radiation effects on LDPE/EVA blends
Radiation effects of low-density polyethylene/ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (LDPE/EVA) blends were discussed. EVA content in the LDPE/EVA blends was an enhancement effect on radiation crosslinking of LDPE/EVA blends, and the highest radiation crosslinking was obtained when the EVA content was reached at 30% when irradiated by gamma-ray in air. The phenomenon was discussed with the compatibility, morphology, and thermal properties of LDPE/EVA blends and found that the enhanced radiation crosslinking of the LDPE/EVA blends was proportional to the good compatibility, the increasing degree of the amorphous region's content of the LDPE/EVA blends, and the vinyl acetate content of EVA. We also found that the vinyl acetate of EVA in the blends is easily oxidized by gamma-ray irradiation in air. The possible radiation crosslinking and degradation mechanism of LDPE/EVA blends was discussed quantitatively with a novel method "step-analysis" process of irradiated LDPE/EVA blends in the thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) technique.
Keywords:radiation effects;LDPE/EVA blends;compatibility;amorphous region's content;vinyl acetate content