Abstract
The aim of this work was to investigate the thermal and mechanical properties of novel, electron beam-modified ester elastomers containing multifunctional alcohols. Polymers tested in this work consist of two blocks: sebacic acid–butylene glycol block and sebacic acid–sugar alcohol block. Different sugar alcohols were utilized in the polymer synthesis: glycerol, sorbitol, xylitol, erythritol, and mannitol. The polymers have undergone an irradiation procedure. The materials were irradiated with doses of 50 kGy, 100 kGy, and 150 kGy. The expected effect of using ionizing radiation was crosslinking process and improvement of the mechanical properties. Additionally, a beneficial side effect of the irradiation process is sterilization of the affected materials. It is also worth noting that the materials described in this paper do not require either sensitizers or cross-linking agent in order to perform radiation modification. Radiation-modified poly(polyol sebacate-co-butylene sebacate) elastomers have been characterized in respect to the mechanical properties (quasi-static tensile tests), cross-link density, thermal properties (Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)), chemical properties: Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and wettability (water contact angle). Poly(polyol sebacate-co-butylene sebacate) preopolymers were characterized with nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR and 13C NMR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Thermal stability of cross-linked materials (directly after synthesis process) was tested with thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).
Highlights
Radiation modification is a method of cross-linking polymer materials that allows to save energy compared to a chemical cross-linking, and provides a higher degree of control over the cross-link density
Examples of aromatic polyesters cross-linked by radiation are poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) [10] and pol(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), though due to its properties it requires addition of a sensitizer [11,12]
While in the case of PXBS and poly(sorbitol sebacate-co-butylene sebacate) (PSBS) a 50 kGy dose shows the best results, which is a similar tendency to that observed in the mechanical properties section of the paper, in the case of the poly(erythritol sebacate-co-butylene sebacate) (PEBS)
Summary
Radiation modification is a method of cross-linking polymer materials that allows to save energy compared to a chemical cross-linking, and provides a higher degree of control over the cross-link density. Some materials such as polyethylene are susceptible to radiation modification on their own; others, like polyisobutylene, require addition of a cross-linking agent. Examples of aromatic polyesters cross-linked by radiation are poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) [10] and pol(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), though due to its properties it requires addition of a sensitizer [11,12]. Polyester-based thermoplastic elastomers can be modified by radiation [13]
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