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Effects of Electron Beam Irradiation on PP Film
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Polypropylene film exposed to electron beam irradiation at 100 kGy showed significant mechanical degradation and the emergence of oxidative functional groups, confirming that radiation-induced oxidation weakens the polymer matrix. This is relevant to microplastic research because understanding how PP degrades under environmental stressors helps model the fragmentation pathways that generate microplastic particles from discarded plastic films.
This study investigated the physicochemical changes of polypropylene (PP) film exposed to electron beam irradiation in the atmospheric environment at varying absorbed doses. Moreover, the structural evolution and macroscopic properties of the irradiated film were systematically characterized using methods such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), stress-strain mechanical testing, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). It was found that at an absorbed dose of 100 kGy, the mechanical properties of the PP film declined significantly due to oxidative degradation induced by irradiation. Moreover, the emergence of functional groups with oxidation characteristics was clearly observed in the FTIR spectra.
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