Discoloration Effects of High-Dose γ-Irradiation and Long-Term Thermal Aging of (U)HMW-PE
Two polyethylene types with ultra-high (UHMW-PE) and high molecular weight (HMW-PE) used as neutron radiation shielding materials in casks for radioactive waste were irradiated with doses up to 600 kGy using a 60Co gamma source. Subsequently, thermal aging at 125°C was applied for up to one year. De...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2017-01-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Polymer Science |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/1362491 |
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| author | Anja Kömmling Emmanouil Chatzigiannakis Jörg Beckmann Volker Wachtendorf Kerstin von der Ehe Ulrike Braun Matthias Jaunich Ulrich Schade Dietmar Wolff |
| author_facet | Anja Kömmling Emmanouil Chatzigiannakis Jörg Beckmann Volker Wachtendorf Kerstin von der Ehe Ulrike Braun Matthias Jaunich Ulrich Schade Dietmar Wolff |
| author_sort | Anja Kömmling |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Two polyethylene types with ultra-high (UHMW-PE) and high molecular weight (HMW-PE) used as neutron radiation shielding materials in casks for radioactive waste were irradiated with doses up to 600 kGy using a 60Co gamma source. Subsequently, thermal aging at 125°C was applied for up to one year. Degradation effects in the materials were characterized using colorimetry, UV-Vis spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, and DSC. Both materials exhibited a yellowing upon irradiation. The discoloration of UHMW-PE disappeared again after thermal aging. Therefore, the yellowing is assumed to originate from annealable color centers in the form of free radicals that are trapped in the crystalline regions of the polymer and recombine at elevated temperatures. For the antioxidant-containing HMW-PE, yellowing was observed after both irradiation and thermal aging. The color change was correlated mainly to decomposition products of the antioxidant in addition to trapped radicals as in UHMW-PE. Additionally, black spots appeared after thermal aging of HMW-PE. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6054ce3cd3db431388ddac51ca13362c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1687-9422 1687-9430 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2017-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Polymer Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-6054ce3cd3db431388ddac51ca13362c2025-02-03T01:31:30ZengWileyInternational Journal of Polymer Science1687-94221687-94302017-01-01201710.1155/2017/13624911362491Discoloration Effects of High-Dose γ-Irradiation and Long-Term Thermal Aging of (U)HMW-PEAnja Kömmling0Emmanouil Chatzigiannakis1Jörg Beckmann2Volker Wachtendorf3Kerstin von der Ehe4Ulrike Braun5Matthias Jaunich6Ulrich Schade7Dietmar Wolff8Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), 12200 Berlin, GermanyBundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), 12200 Berlin, GermanyBundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), 12200 Berlin, GermanyBundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), 12200 Berlin, GermanyBundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), 12200 Berlin, GermanyBundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), 12200 Berlin, GermanyBundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), 12200 Berlin, GermanyHelmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie (HZB), 12489 Berlin, GermanyBundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), 12200 Berlin, GermanyTwo polyethylene types with ultra-high (UHMW-PE) and high molecular weight (HMW-PE) used as neutron radiation shielding materials in casks for radioactive waste were irradiated with doses up to 600 kGy using a 60Co gamma source. Subsequently, thermal aging at 125°C was applied for up to one year. Degradation effects in the materials were characterized using colorimetry, UV-Vis spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, and DSC. Both materials exhibited a yellowing upon irradiation. The discoloration of UHMW-PE disappeared again after thermal aging. Therefore, the yellowing is assumed to originate from annealable color centers in the form of free radicals that are trapped in the crystalline regions of the polymer and recombine at elevated temperatures. For the antioxidant-containing HMW-PE, yellowing was observed after both irradiation and thermal aging. The color change was correlated mainly to decomposition products of the antioxidant in addition to trapped radicals as in UHMW-PE. Additionally, black spots appeared after thermal aging of HMW-PE.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/1362491 |
| spellingShingle | Anja Kömmling Emmanouil Chatzigiannakis Jörg Beckmann Volker Wachtendorf Kerstin von der Ehe Ulrike Braun Matthias Jaunich Ulrich Schade Dietmar Wolff Discoloration Effects of High-Dose γ-Irradiation and Long-Term Thermal Aging of (U)HMW-PE International Journal of Polymer Science |
| title | Discoloration Effects of High-Dose γ-Irradiation and Long-Term Thermal Aging of (U)HMW-PE |
| title_full | Discoloration Effects of High-Dose γ-Irradiation and Long-Term Thermal Aging of (U)HMW-PE |
| title_fullStr | Discoloration Effects of High-Dose γ-Irradiation and Long-Term Thermal Aging of (U)HMW-PE |
| title_full_unstemmed | Discoloration Effects of High-Dose γ-Irradiation and Long-Term Thermal Aging of (U)HMW-PE |
| title_short | Discoloration Effects of High-Dose γ-Irradiation and Long-Term Thermal Aging of (U)HMW-PE |
| title_sort | discoloration effects of high dose γ irradiation and long term thermal aging of u hmw pe |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/1362491 |
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