Polymer Waste - Biopolymers & Bioplastics

Electronic and Radiation-Related Polymers

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Radiation processing is widely employed in plastics engineering to enhance the physical properties of polymers, such as chemical resistance, surface properties, mechanical and thermal properties, particle size reduction, melt properties, material compatibility, fire retardation, etc.

Chemical reactions can be initiated by radiation at any temperature, under any pressure and in any phase (gas, liquid or solid) without the use of catalysts. The irradiation of polymeric materials with ionizing radiation (gamma rays, X rays, accelerated electrons, ion beams) leads to the formation of very reactive intermediates. These intermediates can follow several reaction paths, which result in rearrangements and/or formation of new bonds. The ultimate effects of these reactions can be the formation of oxidized products, grafts, scission of main chains (degradation) or cross-linking. The degree of these transformations depends on the structure of the polymer and the conditions of treatment before, during and after irradiation. Good control of all of these processing factors facilitates the modification of polymers by radiation processing.