Effects of electron beam irradiation on structural, thermal and optical properties of EVA/PVC blends

Ethylene vinyl acetate/poly (vinyl chloride) (EVA/PVC) blend samples have been prepared by the casting method at weight ratios of 50/50 wt% and 75/25 wt%, respectively. EVA/PVC blend samples were irradiated using electron beam radiation at different irradiation doses, namely, 50, 100, 150 and 200 kGy. The physico-chemical properties of the irradiated blend samples, such as morphological, structural, optical and thermal properties, have been investigated using SEM, XRD, FTIR, UV-VIS and TGA analytical techniques. SEM investigation revealed that the EVA/PVC blend samples of composition 75/25 wt% are more compatible than those of 50/50 wt% EVA/PVC. XRD characterization illustrated the change in the crystal structure for EVA/PVC blend samples. The obtained UV/VIS optical properties and their characteristic parameters are greatly dependent on both irradiation dose and blend composition. The thermal stability of electron beam irradiated EVA/PVC blends was found to be higher because of increasing EVA content. It was found that the initial decomposition temperature (Ti °C), the temperature at maximum weight loss (Ts °C) and the final decomposition temperature (Tf °C) of the thermal decomposition are affected by the electron beam radiation dose.