Tensile Behaviour of Modified PBT by Radiation Cross-Linking

Abstract

Radiation processing of polymers is a well-established and economical commercial method of precisely modifying the properties of polymers. The industrial applications of the radiation processing of plastics and composites include polymerization, cross-linking, degradation and grafting. Radiation processing mainly involves the use of either electron beams from electron accelerators or gamma radiation from Cobalt-60 sources. The PBT Polybutylene terephthalate was used in this research and the tensile behaviour was investigated at the ambient temperature. Results demonstrate that PBT has higher values of tensile strength and E-modulus with the increased irradiation dose and it has decreased elongation at break. This behaviour leads to the expansion of these materials in the automotive and electrical industry.