Radiation Crosslinking of Polyurethanes: Characterization by FTIR, TGA, SEM, XRD, and Raman Spectroscopy

Abstract

Gamma radiation can be used for enhancing the physical properties of polyurethane (PU). Radiation was used to crosslink a polyurethane at room temperature; four samples of the PU solid film are irradiated at variable four radiation doses 0, 50, 100, and 150 kGy under vacuum conditions. Crosslinking radiation is more common than oxidative degradation and crosslinking is believed to be more efficient in the soft segment of PU. The structure of the PUs is performed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR-ATR), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA-DTG), and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) which have been used to investigate the effect of gamma radiation on the polyurethane (PU). The results showed that the radiation crosslinking of polyurethanes improved the thermal stability and the crystallinity. The microstructure modifications of polyurethane samples have also been studied as a function of the dose using the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The effects of gamma irradiation on the color changes of polyurethane were observed. The irradiated PUs have conjugated structure and are capable of emitting purple fluorescence.