Study on the cause of discoloration of radiation-exposed polyolefin

Olefinic polymers, such as polyethylene and polypropylene, have a wide variety of known end use applications. Olefinic polymers have been disclosed to be useful in the manufacture of shaped articles for medical used and for food packaging uses where the articles must undergo stabilization for be disinfected. Notwithstanding the significant known advantages of sterilization by means of high energy radiation, several disadvantages are known to be associated with such sterilization techniques. Most of all, when treated with radiation energy in an amount sufficient to achieve the desired sterilization, such polyolefin compositions may become discolored. This coloration may occur for a variety of reasons such as the use of certain additives in the polymer, as well as the presence of high amounts of catalytic residues. In this study, effects of structure of antioxidant and UV stabilizer on the discoloration of olefinic polymer resin were investigated. Furthermore, The mechanism of discoloration of olefinic polymer was suggested