CHEMICALLY CROSSLINKED HIGH-DENSITY POLYETHYLENE

Chemical crosslinking of high‐density polyethylene was studied. The amount of gel produced by a given peroxide concentration depends on the molecular weight of the polymer. More scission reactions, during the crosslinking process, occur in low‐density than in high‐density polyethylene crosslinked with Varox and Luperox 130 peroxides. The rheological behavior of partially crosslinked polyethylene is useful and convenient for quality control, for characterization, and for studies on the various mechanisms associated with the crosslinking process. Copyright © 1969 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.