Radiation effects on electrical treeing resistance and mechanical characteristics of low density polyethylene containing barbituric acid derivatives

The treeing resistance of low density polyethylene containing barbituric acid derivatives under radiation environments were investigated. Barbituric acid, 4-aminouracil and 4-amino-6-hydroxy-2-mercapto pyrimidine were selected for treeing inhibitors. LDPE with the additives were irradiated by Co/sup 60/ /spl gamma/-rays. The treeing inception voltage and tree propagation was observed for electrical insulation properties, and the elongation at break was observed for the mechanical properties, to clarify the relation between the molecular structure and the electrical tree characteristics. Also thermoluminescence and gel contents were carried out at various dosages. LDPE containing treeing inhibitors showed better electrical insulation characteristics than pure LDPE. From the measurements, barbituric acid among the treeing inhibitors had the best treeing and radiation resistance.