Radiation Processing Applications Research Articles

The nature of bonding during film formation of polyolefins and cellulose using UV and ionizing radiation initiation

Abstract The problems involved in bonding when monomers and/or polymers are polymerized under the influence of ionizing radiation and UV onto representative polar and non-polar materials, namely cellulose and polypropylene, are discussed. Two type radiation systems are compared, i.e. the simultaneous technique where reaction occurs from a solvent medium and the rapid cure, solvent free type process. The formation of a true carbon-carbon bond between film and trunk polymer during such polymerization reactions is shown to be of advantage for certain radiation processing applications. The possible role of charge-transfer intermediates in rapid cure film formation on natural and synthetic polymers is also considered.