GAMMA IRRADIATION – A METHOD OF RECYCLING POLYMERIC MATERIALS

Abstract

Radiation processing of polymers has many technical and environmental advantages. The low pollution and low energy consumption of radiation processing of polymers, along with its potential in polymer recycling makes it a green technology. Modification in polymeric structure of plastic material can be brought either by conventional chemical means or by exposure to ionization radiation. During the irradiation process the following phenomena occurs: chain branching, cross-linking, degradation or cleavage. These phenomena coexist and depend on several factors such as the initial molecular structure and morphology of the polymer and the irradiation environment i.e. irradiation dose, irradiation dose rate, presence or absence of oxygen. This paper provides an overview of the polymer recycling possibilities using gamma irradiation.