Crosslinking and Ageing of Ethylene-vinyl Silane Copolymers Doctoral Thesis Summary

Miroslav Pastorek

Nowadays, polyethylene is one of the most produced polymers due to its low price and useful properties. It is one of the oldest synthetic polymers and the development of its structure and properties is closely connected with important discoveries in the field of polymer synthesis and modification. Crosslinking of polyethylene is a modification allowing significant improvement of thermal and mechanical properties that are necessary for advanced applications. Without crosslinking, polyethylene does not have sufficient thermal, mechanical and weather resistance required for the safety of products, such as wire insulation, hot water pipes and others. For this reason, research of crosslinked polyethylene is important, particularly the study of the influence of crosslinking performed at different conditions on the morphology, mechanical and thermal properties of the polymer.