Temperature stability of modified PBT by radiation cross-linking

Abstract

Radiation processing of polymers is a well-established and economical commercial method of precisely modifying the properties of polymers. The principle of radiation processing is the ability of high energy radiation to produce reactive cations, anions and free radicals in materials. The industrial applications of the radiation processing of plastics and composites include polymerization, cross-linking, degradation and grafting. Radiation processing mainly involves the use of either electron beams from electron accelerators or gamma radiation from Cobalt-60 sources. The PBT Polybutylene terephthalate tested showed significant changes of temperature stability and mechanical properties after irradiation. From this point view, new applications could also be seen in areas with service temperatures higher than their former melting point. The comparison of the temperature stability and mechanical properties of irradiated and non-irradiated PBT is presented in this paper.