Investigation of filled polyethylene radiolysis at room temperature

Study was conducted on the effect of the filler-aerosil (AS) on the formation and accumulation of allyl radicals and also on the yield of gel-fractions in the polyethylene of a low and high densities (0.916 +- 0.003 and 0.952 +- 0.O03 g/cm3, respectively) depending on the dose absorbed, concentration (1 to 50 wt %), degree of dispersion (Ssub(spec) - 175 and 30O m2/g), particle size (0.01 to 0.03 mcm) and the nature of the filler surface. It is shown that addition of 1 to 10 wt % AS reduces and of 20 to 50 wt % raises the yield of allyl radicals in the low-density polyethylene. In the high-density polyethylene additions of 1 to 20 wt % AS sensitize the formation of allyl radicals. It is demonstrated that at small doses the yield of gel-fractions in the filled samples change with concentration of allyl radicals. On irradiation, the polyethylene infrared spectra exhibit an increase in the intensity of the absorption bands 1080 and 1270 cm-1, which points to a stronger chemical binding of the polyethylene with the filler under irradiation