Radiation‐induced modification of polyurethane‐elastomers with hydroxyethyl methacrylate

Abstract

The hydrophilic grafting of a special polyurethane, Tuftane 410 (B.F. Goodrich), with hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) using ⁶⁰ Co γ irradiation was described. The grafting was performed by the preswelling technique. The influence of swelling degree in HEMA and irradiation time at constant dose on the grafting yield was investigated. Viscosity and gel fraction of the grafted samples were determined. The swelling of the modified films in water was followed. The penetration depth of the poly‐HEMA graft into the Tuftane matrix was investigated by using sorption kinetics and studies on dyed microtome cuts. From these results a model for the grafting process was derived.