Effect of organoclay loading and electron beam irradiation on the physico-mechanical properties of low-density polyethylene/ethylene-vinyl acetate blend

The influence of electron beam (EB) irradiation and organoclay (OC) loading on the properties of low-density polyethylene (LDPE)/ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) blends was investigated. The samples were subjected to the EB irradiation with the dose values of 50 and 250 kGy. X-ray diffraction (XRD), gel content, mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties were utilized to analyze the characteristics of the LDPE/EVA blends with and without OC at different irradiation dosages. Gel content analysis showed that the OC promotes considerably the insoluble part so that the LDPE/EVA blends filled with OC become fully crosslinked at 250 kGy; possibly through the formation of further crosslinks between OC and polymer chains. The samples irradiated by EB showed enhanced mechanical properties due to the formation of three-dimensional networks. In addition, thermogravimetric analysis indicated that combined OC loading and radiation-induced crosslinking improved thermal stability of LDPE/EVA blends considerably. Copyright (C) 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.