Oxidation effects of poly (ether-ether-ketone) induced by electron-beam irradiation

To study the effects of oxygen content in an irradiated atmosphere on the physical and chemical properties of poly (ether-ether-ketone) (PEEK), the radiation effects of PEEK films irradiated by an electron-beam were observed in air and oxygen at room temperature. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), a contact angle instrument, atomic force microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and a universal tension machine were used to test the effects of different oxygen contents and absorbed doses of electron-beam on the chemical structure, surface properties, thermal stability, and mechanical properties of PEEK films. The results showed that no new infrared absorption peaks appeared in FTIR spectra within the absorbed dose range. The surface roughness of the films increased after irradiation, and the static water contact angle decreased with the increasing absorbed doses. The thermal stability decreased with the increasing oxygen contents in the irradiated atmosphere. The tensile stress and elongation at break of the irradiated samples under air and oxygen conditions first increased and then decreased with the increasing absorbed doses. (authors)