Effect of Electron Beam Irradiation on EVA/HDPE Blends Containing Various Amounts of Magnesium Hydroxide Flame Retardant

In this study, effect of electron beam irradiation on the mechanical, thermal, and flammability properties of poly (ethylene-co-vinyl acetate)/high-density polyethylene (EVA/HDPE) blends containing magnesium hydroxide (MDH) as a flame retardant was investigated. The gel content increased with an increasing absorbed dose due to the formation of crosslinked newtork structures. Although the flame retardancy of the blends improved with increasing the content of MDH, the mechanical properties of the blends deteriorated significantly. However, the mechanical property, thermal stability, and flame retardancy of the blends improved by electron beam irradiation due to the formation of crosslinked 3-dimensional network structures. These results indicate that electron beam irradiation is an effective method to improve the thermal stability, mechanical properties, and flame retardancy of polyolefin blends containing flame retardants