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Radiation Degradation of Polytetrafluoroethylene-Lead Composites

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Abstract

Composites of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) with Pb (0-15 wt.%) were fabricated and irradiated up to 50 kGy in a 60Co-gamma chamber to evaluate the effect of Pb in improving the radiation tolerance of PTFE. Thermal and mechanical properties were measured for the irradiated and un-irradiated PTFE samples and its composites. The number average molecular weight of PTFE was estimated at different doses from the enthalpy of crystallization values obtained by Differential Scanning Calorimetry. Reduction in the percentage increase in the enthalpy of crystallization and melting of PTFE-15% Pb composite, during irradiation indicated the stabilizing effect of lead on PTFE. Surface morphology of PTFE and its composites revealed that the formation of micro-cracks and blisters in PTFE, owing to radiation damage was controlled by lead. Elongation at break values and SEM images of the irradiated composites indicated that 15% Pb offered better stability to PTFE than 10% Pb.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Dr. R. Natarajan, Director, Reprocessing Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research for his keen interest and constant encouragement throughout the course of this work. The authors thank Mr. U. Veeramani and T. Selvan, Reprocessing R&D Division for their help in sample preparation. This work forms a part of the thesis to be submitted by Shri Sanat Karmakar to Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai for the award of Ph.D. degree in Chemical Sciences.

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  1. Reprocessing R & D Division, Reprocessing Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam, 603102, India

    Sanat Karmakar, Falix Lawrence, C. Mallika & U. Kamachi Mudali

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  1. Sanat Karmakar
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  2. Falix Lawrence
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  3. C. Mallika
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  4. U. Kamachi Mudali
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Correspondence to Falix Lawrence.

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Karmakar, S., Lawrence, F., Mallika, C. et al. Radiation Degradation of Polytetrafluoroethylene-Lead Composites. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 24, 4409–4414 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-015-1702-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-015-1702-z

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