Premium
Contribution of size exclusion chromatography and thermal analysis methods in the study of the radiochemical behavior of plastic materials
Author(s) -
Yagoubi N.,
Baillet A.,
Mur C.,
Legendre B.,
Pellerin F.,
Ferrier D. Baylocq
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
polymers for advanced technologies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.61
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1099-1581
pISSN - 1042-7147
DOI - 10.1002/pat.1993.220041003
Subject(s) - materials science , size exclusion chromatography , crystallinity , polyvinyl chloride , polystyrene , polyethylene , polymer , gel permeation chromatography , irradiation , polyvinyl acetate , chemical engineering , composite material , organic chemistry , chemistry , physics , nuclear physics , engineering , enzyme
Sterilization by irradiation techniques is considered to be an improved method to treat polluted products of human consumption. Secondary effects, that may be generated in the components of packaging materials, could induce organoleptic damage and some physico‐chemical modifications, observed especially in plastic materials. In order to demonstrate any such secondary changes, we have investigated the effects of beta‐irradiation (a treatment which could induce either a reticulation or a cleavage in a polymeric sequence) on three polymers; namely, low density polyethylene, polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride. The techniques used to identify irradiation‐induced modifications of these polymers were size exclusion chromatography and thermal analysis. Thermal analysis showed a decrease in the percentage of crystallinity of polyethylene after its radiosterilization. Exclusion chromatography highlighted a reticulation for irradiated polyvinyl chloride and polystyrene.