Abstract
UDC 678
DOI https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1053481
The paper describes electret properties of low density polyethylene and the effect of gamma irradiation on them. It was shown that the thicker polyethylene film is, the more stable surface potential, electric field strength and effective surface charge density values are. A negative impact of gamma-radiation on electret properties of the films was revealed that was caused by the injected charge carriers release from the traps due to clearing the energy barrier owing to radiation energy. Irradiated polyethylene films, in turn, are polarized badly in corona discharge because of oxygen-containing groups on the surface formed during gamma-irradiation and acting as charge carrier traps with low capture energy. It was found that formation of cross-bonds in the bulk of the polymer and carbonyl groups on its surface slightly raises the degree of crystallinity and the specific volume resistivity and decreases the specific surface resistivity.
Keywords: polyethylene, gamma-irradiation, corona discharge, electret.