INHIBITION OF RADIATION DEGRADATION BY HYDROGEN-DONATING HYDROAROMATICS

The inhibiting effect of a multicomponent hydroaromatic type additive (HHAP) produced from petroleum which showed prominent radical-scavenging ability with DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) was tested against the radiation degradation (gamma-ray in air at room temperature) of mineral oil in comparison with the effect of a hindered phenolic antioxidant, 2,6-di-tert-butyl-p-cresol (DBPC). The obvious effects of HHAP on the restriction of the increases of acid value and carbonyl absorbance were preserved up to 2500 kGy. However, the structural changes that occurred in DBPC were shown by analyses of the carbonyl absorbance and of the OH group absorbance by IR. DBPC itself was analyzed by gas chromatography as the irradiation dose accumulated. The differences in the inhibiting effects of a hindered phenolic antioxidant and HHAP between the thermal oxidation and radiation degradation of polyolefins are discussed from these results. HHAP, which does not have a functional group containing heteroatoms, can be considered to be resistant to radiation as well as to heat.