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Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol.49, No.16, 7113-7120, 2010
Characterization of Electron Beam Irradiated Ethylene Methyl Acrylate Copolymer
The effect of electron beam dose on the mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties over ethylene methylacrylate (EMA) copolymer was investigated. The copolymer (Elvaloy 1224) was subjected to electron beam radiation at different doses for cross-linking, with the incorporation of the sensitizer trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate (TMPTMA) at various levels. It was observed that the mechanical properties reached an optimum level around 60 kGy radiation dose and 1 phr sensitizer. Beyond that, an increase in irradiation dose or sensitizer level contributed little to modify the properties further. These observations were supported from spectral studies. Improved thermal behavior was observed from the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) thermograms. The electrical properties were affected very little by irradiation.