Application of Differential Scanning Calorimetry to Study the Resistance of UHMWPE-Based Composite Materials to Electron Irradiation

Differential scanning calorimetry is used to study the effect doses of electron irradiation on the structural state of composite materials synthesized from mechanochemically obtained precursors of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene and boron carbide В4С. Powdered composite precursors are hot-pressed to prepare the plates for electron-beam irradiation experiments. Specimens were irradiated at RT conditions using the U-10 2 MeV electron accelerator at the Baikov Institute’s radiation facility. The composites were investigated by means of DSC method to determine polymer crystallinity and intra-chain cooperative effects on melting. Changes in the structural and morphological characteristics of composite samples have been examined via scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and FTIR spectroscopy investigations. Analysis of the data shows that the studied composite material is resistant to electron irradiation fluences of up to 8 × 1014 cm–2.