非一様熱劣化架橋ポリエチレンシートの引張り強度変化

概要

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Cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) sheets were thermally deteriorated in atmospheric air at 180°C for at most 100 hours, and their depth profiles of the oxidation degrees were investigated with a micro FT-IR, and the relationships between the oxidation degree and mechanical properties such as tensile strength and elongation at break were examined. The oxidation degree was defined as the ratio of the IR absorption peak for the C=O bond to that for the C-H bond. When tensile strength and elongation at break of XLPE sheets decreased, the oxidation degree increased and the oxidation degree distributed non-uniformly with depth. That is, the oxidation degree was the largest on the upper surface of XLPE sheets where air supply was sufficient during heating, and it was the smallest on the lower surface that contacted with a metal plate during heating. Since the mechanical characteristics such as the hardness and the Youngs modulus decreased in the oxidized region of XLPE sheets, it was pointed out that the oxidized region became a weak point against the mechanical stress. It was also pointed out that the micro FT-IR was useful in evaluating the depth profile of oxidation in polymer materials.