Radiation curing of composites for enhancing their features and utility in health care and industry

The final report of a research project on radiation curing of composites for enhancing their features and utility in health care and industry. It presents methodologies for new abrasion resistant coating formulations, radiation curable nanocomposites, biodegradable packaging materials and methods to modify surface characteristic of nano-sized materials to enhance polymer fillers interaction.

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Composite materials are used in various applications, including sports equipment, automotive and aerospace industries, food packaging and artificial organs. Materials reinforced with nanoscale components add new dimensions to composite materials and enable further major improvements in functional and structural properties. Several major issues need to be addressed to utilize the full potential of such nanofillers. Among them are the incompatibility or weak interfacial bonding between the matrix and the nanoscale component, and the agglomeration of nano-sized component during processing, resulting in inhomogeneous distribution. According to the results of ongoing investigation and product preparation at several Member State institutions, radiation technology offers a way of overcoming these challenges by grafting appropriate monomers and polymers onto the nanofiller surface, thereby fixing their morphology and making them compatible with the host polymer. Radiation techniques also offer the possibility for simultaneous synthesis of the nanoparticle component and crosslinking of the matrix of the composite, which is not possible with other techniques. With the availability of lower cost, self-shielded low energy electron beam accelerators, this process is becoming an option for developing countries. In order to use the advantages of radiation techniques and to address the needs of Member States producing advanced composite materials, the Coordinated Research Project (CRP) on Radiation Curing of Composites for Enhancing their Features and Utility in Health Care and Industry supported participating institutions in the development of methodologies and protocols