Characterization of radiation-crosslinked, high-density polyethylene

Conference · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1981

OSTI ID:6020979

Whitaker, R B; Craven, S M; Etter, D E; Jendrek, E F; Nease, A

Crystalline, form-stable, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pellets were previously developed for thermal energy storage. The present study is directed toward characterization of the crosslinked, form-stable HDPE pellets produced by electron beam radiation crosslinking, and the effects of crosslinking on crystallinity and heat of fusion. Calorimetric measurements of the heats of fusion (..delta..H/sub f/) of the radiation-crosslinked HDPE (in dosages of 4 to 18 Mrad) showed that while a substantial decrease in ..delta..H/sub f/ occurred after the first melting cycle (up to approx. 25%), slow cooling (1.25/sup 0/C/min) on recrystallization of the pellets could restore the ..delta..H/sub f/ value to 95% of that of the uncrosslinked HDPE up to 9.0 Mrad dosage exposure. The form stability of the 9.0-Mrad HDPE was very good even after 500 melt-freeze cycles in ethylenes glycol. However, some further decline in ..delta..H/sub f/ was noted along with an increase in gel content at the end of the 500 cycles. X-ray diffraction measurements showed little or no difference in crystallinity among the various radiation-crosslinked HDPE's and the uncrosslinked control HDPE, indicating the crosslinking occurs primarily in the amorphous regions of the polyethylene.

• Research Organization: Mound Facility, Miamisburg, OH (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00053
• OSTI ID: 6020979
• Report Number(s): MLM-2874-OP; CONF-811076-3; ON: DE82002559
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

25 ENERGY STORAGE
250600 -- Energy Storage-- Thermal
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360404 -- Materials-- Polymers & Plastics-- Physical Properties-- (-1987)
38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
400600* -- Radiation Chemistry
ALCOHOLS
BEAMS
CALORIMETRY
CHEMICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
COHERENT SCATTERING
COLLOIDS
CROSS-LINKING
DIFFRACTION
DISPERSIONS
ELECTRON BEAMS
ENERGY STORAGE
ENTHALPY
EQUIPMENT
FUSION HEAT
GELS
GLYCOLS
HEAT STORAGE
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INFRARED SPECTRA
LATENT HEAT STORAGE
LEPTON BEAMS
MELTING
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
PARTICLE BEAMS
PELLETS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POLYETHYLENES
POLYMERIZATION
POLYMERS
POLYOLEFINS
RADIATION CHEMISTRY
RADIATION EFFECTS
RECRYSTALLIZATION
SCATTERING
SPECTRA
STORAGE
THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE EQUIPMENT
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
TRANSITION HEAT
X-RAY DIFFRACTION