Improvement of the surface of polyethylene foamed sheet by irradiation

✍ Scribed by T. Kemmotsu; M. Okada; T. Ono

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1993
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 284 KB
• Volume: 42
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0969-806X
• DOI: 10.1016/0969-806x(93)90212-d

✦ Synopsis

The manufacturing methods of cross-linked polyethylene foams are classified into two categories based on a type of cross-linking.

One is chemical cross-linking by using peroxide as a cross-linking agent. The other method is cross-linking by irradiation.

As for chemical cross-linking, a fairly thick foam sheet can be produced, and a comparatively high degree of cross-linking can be achieved. This means chemical cross-linking excels in thermo-forming but, due to a rough surface, the product is lacking in adhesive property and printability. We studied how to improve the surface condition of foam sheet without damaging the features proceeding from chemical cross-linking.

As a result, it has been revealed that at the pre-stage of foaming, and by irradiating the surface at low voltage, the resultant foamed sheet with smooth surfaces and excelling in mechanical properties can be produced.