Influence of morphology and chemical structure on the inverse response of polypropylene to gamma radiation under vacuum

Post-irradiation effects on gamma-irradiated nylon 6,12 fibers

Post-irradiation effects on nylon 6,12 crystalline fibers gamma-irradiated 6 years previously (6YI) were studied, including thermal stability and morphology; their relationship with storage time was also studied. The results of these studies were compared with those obtained for non-irradiated (NI) and namely freshly irradiated (FI) crystalline fibers. The results include analyses like thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential thermal analysis (DTA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical images for (6YI and FI) both kinds of nylon 6,12 fibers. The results showed that the most prominent effect is related to the reaction progress. The chain scission and/or crosslinking mechanisms, as well as the free radicals, allow proceeding with the reaction, and consequently, changes on the properties of the FI samples. The melting point, degree of crystallinity, degradation temperature and morphology prove that additional chemical reactions and surface modifications keep occurring in the fibers long after the irradiation process has ended. With storage time, the surface becomes rougher, the color turns yellowish, the melting point diminishes and the degree of crystallinity increases.

Nylon 6,12 fibers under low-dose gamma irradiation

One of the most important applications of gamma irradiation is in the area of polymer modification. Nylon fibers that were gamma-irradiated with a dose higher than 25 kGy show fusion temperature and fusion enthalpy higher than the nonirradiated nylon. Nevertheless, under certain applications, the influence of nylon-irradiated fibers is noticeable below 50 kGy; therefore, physicochemical characterization is indispensable. In the present work, nylon 6,12 crystalline fibers were irradiated at low dose (from 1 to 25 kGy) at environmental conditions to confirm the thermal behavior. The melting point and fusion enthalpy were measured with differential scanning calorimetry; structural changes were studied using infrared spectroscopy; and fiber surface morphology was studied using atomic force microscopy. The results show an increase in both fusion temperature and fusion enthalpy, which are effects of the newly ordered high-molecular-weight oligo­mers. Recrystallization and oligomer formation can be observed in infrared spectra. Such behaviors are directly related to the partial damage over the surface and the mechanical performance of manufactured composites.

Properties of isotactic polypropylene irradiated in various atmospheres

In this paper, changes in structure and physical properties of stabilized isotactic polypropylene (iPP) were created by gamma irradiation, up to a dose of 700 kGy, in different media: air, deionized distilled (DD) water and acetylene. Two main effects occur when polyolefins, such as iPP, are subjected to ionizing radiation: crosslinking and scission of macromolecules. The domination of one or the other of these competitive processes is determined by both the structural peculiarities of the polymers and the experimental irradiation conditions. Gel and infrared (IR) spectroscopy measurements were used to determine the changes in the degree of network formation and oxidative degradation, respectively. Sol-gel analysis was studied in detail using the Charlesby-Pinner (C-P) equation. The radiation-induced changes in the structure and evolution of oxygen-containing species were also studied through dielectric loss (tan ?) analysis in a wide temperature and/or frequency range. Evolution of low temperature dielectric relaxations with gamma irradiation was investigated. The results showed that degradation was the major reaction in the initial step of irradiation, no matter what the atmosphere was. The C-P equation seemed applicable when stabilized iPP was irradiated within a certain dose range in various atmospheres. The iPP irradiated in acetylene/air had the lowest/highest values for oxidation level, dielectric losses, Dg and G(s)/G(x) values. The calculated Dg values are 1.5 and 5 times larger for the irradiation in DD water and air than for the acetylene. Furthermore, our data confirm that oxidation strongly affects the gel point but has a much lower effect on the G(S)/G(X) ratio. In the case of dielectric relaxation measurements, the connection between the oxidative degradation and dielectric properties is well established and is in good agreement with IR spectroscopy measurements. The amount of carbonyl, hydroperoxide and other polar groups is much higher for the irradiation in air than in other media, leading to higher dielectric losses. Disappearance of low temperature (? and ?) relaxations with gamma radiation confirmed great sensitivity of iPP structure to radiation-induced changes. Complete ?vanishing? of the ? relaxation in iPP samples irradiated in air is connected with a large radiation-induced oxidative degradation in this medium. Similar crosslinking, oxidation and dielectric behaviour was observed for the samples irradiated in water and acetylene, indicating DD water as a good crosslinking medium.