Radiation stability of polypropylene/lead zirconate composites

• Polypropylene is more stable under gamma irradiation in the presence of lead zirconate.
• Intermediate temperatures around 100 °C reveal a partial oxidation of polypropylene substrate.
• Radiation stability of polypropylene compounded with lead zirconate is remarkable, leading to different applications in the manufacture of membranes.

The effects of PbZrO3 filler in polypropylene were studied by isothermal and nonisothermal chemiluminescence and FT-IR spectroscopy after γ(137Cs)-irradiation at 20, 50, 100 and 250 kGy relative to neat material. For the two filler concentrations (2 and 5 wt%) the improvement in radiation stability can be noticed. The increase in the filler concentration stabilizes polypropylene matrix, whose oxidation rate decreases sharply even at 250 kGy. The interaction of polypropylene matrix with filler is discussed based on the adsorption of free radicals on zirconate particles and the electronic coupling of radiolysis intermediates and filler cations.