DEVELOPMENT OF TRANSPARENT PLASTIC MOISTURE BARRIERS BY RADIATION-INDUCED GRAFT POLYMERIZATION. Period Covered: December 1, 1960 through August 31, 1962

Technical Report · Sat Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1962

OSTI ID:4722893

Work was carried out on the synthesis of packaging materials having moisture barrier properties. The approach investigated has involved the modification of polyethylene via the techniques of halogenation and graft polymerization of halogenated monomers. The grafting of pure vinylidene chloride to polyethylene was inefficient due to the difficulty in separating the grafted product from the homopolymer. This problem was overcome by employing vinylidene chloride diluted with a small amount of acrylonitrile, Facile graft polymerization occurred in the latter case, It was found that the graft polymers so formed have markedly reduced WVTR (water vapor transmission rate) values compared to untreated polyethylene. Chlorination and fluorination of polyethylene did not improve the WVTR properties of polyethylene. Difficulties were encountered in obtaining sizable degrees of fluorination. Appreciable amounts of chlorotrifluoroethylene were grafted to polyethylene. This did not result in a lowering of the WVTR value due to the degradation of the graft during irradintion. (auth)

• Research Organization: Radiation Applications Inc., Long Island City, N.Y.
• NSA Number: NSA-17-010666
• OSTI ID: 4722893
• Report Number(s): RAI-303
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CHEMISTRY
GRAFTS
TRANSPLANTS