Crosslinking and ageing of ethylene-vinyl silane copolymer in water bath

Abstract

The paper focuses on chemical and morphological changes of ethylene-vinyl silane copolymer upon exposure to hot water. Within processing, the exposure to hot water is the final step causing crosslinking and stabilization of material against high temperatures, which can occur in application to wire insulation. For these purposes, commercially available copolymer and catalytic system have been used. A strong effect of catalytic system on kinetics of crosslinking and subsequently ageing was observed. Chemical evolution was followed by infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry was involved for evaluation of morphological changes.