LONG-CHAIN BRANCHING DETERMINATION IN IRRADIATED LINEAR LOW-DENSITY POLYETHYLENE

Low levels of long-chain branching (LCB) were induced in a linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) resin via gamma-induced irradiation. The observed changes in rheological behavior are in good agreement with previously reported work on high-density polyethylene (HDPE) resins. Data obtained from a combination of size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) and low-angle laser light scattering (LALLS) illustrated the presence of LCB in one of the irradiated samples and that the LCB was evenly distributed across the molecular weight range.