Management of Polymer Waste Using Gamma Irradiation Technique

Abstract

The aim of this work was to study the using gamma irradiation technique to manage polymer waste in Sudan- Khartoum during period from 2012 to 2016. The plastic waste was collected randomly from the environmental and differentiated according to color then packed and compressed to be in a bulk form with a diameter of 5*5 cm and thickness of 6 cm and sand witched between 0.5cm of buildup material, then the samples were irradiated at different doses in range of 0 – 800 kGy at room temperature using Co60 gamma cell model 220 with dose rate of 6.05Gy/min, then the sample was characterized using Hounsfield Tensometer ASTM D412, compression set machine Zwick Roell E Type, Hardness machine A Durometer Type Zwick Roell. The γ-irradiation of polymer plastic and rubber led to remarkable changes in the mechanical properties of the material due to chain scission and cross-linking activities. These changes result in the mechanical properties such as the compression set, elongation at break, hardness, elastic modulus and strength. It was observed that the polymer compression, hardness, elastic modulus and strength were increases as radiation doses increases. Likewise, there were decreased in polymer elongation as dose increases. It was concluded that irradiation rate is an important parameter and it is well known that the irradiation rate lead different effects for the same polymer with equal amount of total absorbed dose. If the irradiations are made open to the atmosphere, the diffusion limited oxidation became a critical factor for the radiation-induced effects on the polymers.