Effect of Pretreatment with Gamma Radiation on the Performance of Photocured Jute Yarn with 1,6‐Hexanediol Diacrylate (HDDA)

Jute yarns were treated with ionizing gamma radiation to improve the physico‐mechanical properties. To optimize the grafting conditions, jute yarns were soaked for different soaking times (3, 5, 10, and 30 min) in 1,6‐hexanediol diacrylate (HDDA) + methanol (MeOH) solutions of different HDDA (1–10%) concentration along with photoinitiator Darocur‐1664 (3%) and were cured under UV lamp at different UV radiation intensities. Concentrations of monomer, soaking time, and UV radiation intensities were optimized with extent of mechanical properties; 5% HDDA, 5% min soaking time performed the best tensile strength (TS) (67%), modulus (108%), and polymer loading (PL) (11%). Virgin jute samples were pretreated with gamma radiation for different doses (25–1000 krad) at 600 krad/hr supplied from Co‐60 gamma source. Tensile strength, elongations at break (Eb) and modulus, and PLs of these gamma‐pretreated samples were observed. Pretreatment with gamma radiation enhanced TS and modulus 67.7% and 48%, respectively, whereas elongation can be increased 56%, compared to that of virgin yarn. It is observed that only gamma‐pretreated samples exhibit higher TS. But when gamma‐pretreated samples were grafted with HDDA and cured with UV, then the tensile properties decreased but PL increased considerably.