Molecular structure and physical properties of E-beam crosslinked low-density polyethylene for wire and cable insulation applications

Crosslinking of homemade low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) was performed by electron‐beam (EB) irradiation. The gel content of the EB‐exposed LDPE was determined by the solvent‐extraction method. The degree of crosslinking was also evaluated by a hot set measuring test. The results obtained from both the gel–sol and the hot set methods showed that the degree of crosslinking was dependent on the deposited energy in LDPE samples. Increasing the absorbed dose increased the degree of network formation. The LDPE with higher molecular weight yielded higher efficiency of crosslinking at the same irradiation dose. The effect of irradiation dose on the molecular weight between crosslinks (Mc), glass‐transition temperature, and free volume were calculated. Mechanical test results showed that the tensile strength of the samples increased with increase in the irradiation dose up to 150 kGy and then slightly decreased with further increasing the deposited energy. The elongation at break decreased with increasing the absorbed dose. The results obtained from differential scanning calorimetry exhibited a small reduction in the melting point and the degree of crystallinity of the EB‐exposed LDPE samples compared to those of the untreated samples. The effect of crosslinking on the electrical properties of the irradiated samples was insignificant. The dielectric constant of the treated samples remained nearly constant within the irradiation dose range, although the dissipation factor increased slightly with increasing the absorbed dose. The results obtained from characterizing the EB‐induced crosslinking of homemade polyethylene, including LH0030 and LH0075, showed the higher molecular weight polyethylene (LH0030) as a preferred option for wire and cable insulation. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 86: 1959–1969, 2002