Preparation of Polymeric Materials by the Use of γ-rays for Some Environmental Applications

Abstract

Low density polyethylene (LDPE) films were grafted with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) that selected as a monomer with different functional groups using ionizing radiation as initiator. The prepared LDPE-g-PGMA was chemically treated to modify the epoxy group. The maximum grafting was obtained at 15wt (%) as a monomer concentration in 1,4-dioxane as a solvent and the optimum irradiation dose at 20kGy at room temperature. Opining epoxy ring in the grafted films was investigated using diethylamine (DEA), hydroxylamine (HA), and phosphoric acid (H3PO4) onto backbone LDPE. The reaction between epoxy groups in the grafted polymer and varying functional groups were converted from hydrophobic to hydrophilic properties. The effect of ion exchange was confirmed by (FTIR)-Spectrophotometer measurements, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and thermal analysis as: thermal gravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetric (TGA and DSC).