Deformational properties of irradiated composite materials based on PET and PE

摘要

Considering the wide applicability of polymeric composite materials, heterogeneous blends of poly(ethylene terephtalate) (PET) and polyethylenes of high and low densities (HDPE and LDPE, respectively) were investigated. Rheological (the flow-behavior index), mechanical (the yield strength and the Charpy impact strength), and morphological (crystallinity and the melting temperature) properties were detected for individual blend components and different blend compositions. A radiation treatment (gamma-rays) was applied to improve certain characteristics of the heterogeneous blends. The results of this investigation show that the radiation modification can be successfully used to improve some physical properties of the PET-based blends and to choose individual blend components, optimum irradiation conditions, and desirable blend compositions, which allows producing materials with a predictable set of mechanical properties.