HARDENING INDUCED BY GAMMA-IRRADIATION IN POLY(METHYL METHACRYLATE) -POLY(CHLOROTRIFLUOROETHYLENE) BLENDS

Specimens of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(chloro trifluor oethylene) (PCTFE) polyblends with different weight percentage ratios were irradiated with various doses of gamma irradiation (1-100 Mrad). The effect of irradiation on the strength of blend specimens was studi ed by measuring the surface microhardness using the Vicker's microhard ness tester attached to a Carl Zeiss NU 2 Universal research microscop e. The value of Vicker's hardness number, H-v, was found to increase u p to 5 wt% of PCTFE, beyond which decrease in hardness level was obser ved. Thus the maximum value of H-v was observed in the blends having 5 wt% of PCTFE. Also, a general increase in the microhardness level was observed in the irradiated specimens as compared to the untreated ble nds. The blends became brittle after the irradiation dose of 100 Mrad and indentation testing resulted in the cracking of the specimens.