The radiation-induced grafting of polybutadiene onto silica

The γ-ray-induced grafting of polybutadiene oligomers onto precipitated silica was investigated in the dose range up to 200 kGy by THA, FTIR, CP/MAS NMR, TEM microscopy, inverse gas chromatography (IGC), with determination of the grafting yields and the characterization of the modified silica with respect to surface energy, SiO2–oligomer interaction and morphology. The matrix EPR spectroscopy was employed for investigating the nature of the intermediate radicals in the grafting mechanism.