Radiation crosslinking of poly(butylene succinate) in the presence of low concentrations of trimethallyl isocyanurate and its properties

Poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) with different molecular weights was irradiated using an electron beam (EB) in the presence of polyfunctional monomers at ambient temperature. Five polyfunctional monomers were used in this work. The highest amount of gel fraction was achieved when PBS was blended with trimethallyl isocyanurate (TMAIC). The amount of TMAIC introduced strongly influenced the amount. of resulting gel. It was determined that the crosslinked PBS sample containing 1% TMAIC had a higher glass-transition temperature than did the original PBS. It was also observed that the presence of crosslinking bonds in the irradiated PBS greatly improved its heat stability and diminished its ability to biodegradate. Accordingly, it can be concluded that crosslinked PBS in the presence of TMAIC significantly improved its heat resistant properties. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.