Radiation processing in Indonesia

Abstract

Radiation Processing in Indonesia. The laboratory experiments on the application of gamma radiation in industrial process have already been started since a few years ago using Gamma Cell 220 from AECL Canada. The fields of study are those which the radiation application can have a maximum beneficial impact to the country such as radiation polymerization of natural latex, natural rubber, polypropylene fibers, cotton, and rayon fabrics. The following results were obtained: 1. 1. Dipping trials with irradiated concentrates are irradiated field latex, for the preparation of condoms and medical gloves, gave products with high ultimate elongation, low modulus, and high permanent set. Doses of 0.5-2.0 Mrad and CCl 4 or CHCl 3 as sensitixer were used. 2. 2. The grafting of acrylonitrile onto natural rubber gave product with better oil resistence and tensile strength. The maximum degree of grafting was obtained using irradiation dose of 1.0 – 2.0 Mrad and 40% of acrylonitrile in benzene. 3. 3. Moisture regain, dye absorption, and the melting point of the grafted polypropylene fibers were found to increase with the increasing degree of grafting. Hydrophylic monomers such as 1-vinyl-2pyrrolidone, acrylonitrile, and acrylic acid were used. Polypropylene 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone grafted fibers showed exellent absorption of almost all kind of dyes such a direct, basic, acid, reactive, disperts, and napthol. However, the washing colorfastness of these fibers was found to be fairly good only for certain types of dyes such as vat and napthol dyes, while the washing colorfastness of polypropylene acrylic acid grafted fibers was found to be unsatisfactory. Grafting was found to be optimum at 60°C. 4. 4. Graft copolymerization of those monomers into cellulose fabrics could improve the dimensional stability and crease recovery angle of the fabrics, while its tensile dtrength and its abrasion decreased with the increasing irradiation dose. The optimum grafting was reached at 60 – 70°C.