Influence of the e-beam irradiation and photo-oxidation aging on the structure and properties of LDPE-OMMT nanocomposite films

In this paper two systems, polyethylene (LDPE) and polyethylene/commercial organo-modified montmorillonite (LDPE/OMMT) nanocomposite, were subjected to e-beam irradiation at different doses and both the molecular modifications and mechanical properties have been investigated throughsolubility, FT-IR, calorimetric and tensile tests. Moreover, in some of the irradiated systems photooxidation aging was performed and its effects were studied. The results show an enhancement with irradiation of the positive effect of the nano-filler loading, related to the increase of the mechanicalproperties, due to the increase of the nano-filler polymer interaction.Nevertheless calorimetric and FT-IR data indicate that the well known reduction of LDPE/OMMT nanocomposite resistance to photo-oxidation ageing, with respect to LDPE, is amplified by ionizing radiation.