Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a thermoplastic polyester used in the manufacture of containers and packaging. PET waste occupies one of the top positions in terms of volume among polymer waste. The radiation modification of PET is a promising method for regulating its operational and technological properties. It is assumed that irradiation of PET waste with an electron beam will facilitate its secondary processing. The aim of this work was to study the effect of the ionizing radiation on the PET physicochemical and physicomechanical properties. For this purpose, samples were irradiated by hig-energy electron beam with energy 10 MeV and dose range 0–600 kGy. The radiation-induced EPR of the signal was measured, and the dose dependence was estimated. As a result, it was found that irradiation with electrons leads to a decrease in the melting temperature and an increase in the melt fluidity and glass transition temperature of PET. The hardness and rigidity of the irradiated samples increase. The changes in properties are explained by the destruction of PET macromolecules, which proceeds with the formation of carboxyl and carbonyl groups.

中文翻译：

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高能电子束辐照对PET材料理化性能的影响


聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯 （PET） 是一种热塑性聚酯，用于制造容器和包装。PET 废料在聚合物废料中占有前列位置。PET 的辐射改性是调节其操作和技术特性的一种很有前途的方法。假设用电子束照射 PET 废料将有助于其二次处理。这项工作的目的是研究电离辐射对 PET 物理化学和物理力学性能的影响。为此，样品用能量为 10 MeV、剂量范围 0-600 kGy 的高能电子束照射。测量信号的辐射诱导 EPR，并估计剂量依赖性。结果发现，电子辐照会导致 PET 的熔融温度降低，熔融流动性和玻璃化转变温度升高。辐照样品的硬度和刚度增加。性质的变化是由 PET 大分子的破坏来解释的，这导致了羧基和羰基的形成。