Effects of Gamma Irradiation and Heat Treatment on the ATR-FTIR Response and Shore A Hardness of Silicone Rubber-Based Composites
- 1School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
- 2School of Human Settlements and Civil Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
Abstract
Silicone rubber (SR) composites are candidate radiation-shielding materials, but their irradiation and annealing responses remain incompletely understood. Three predefined formulations containing boron carbide (B4C), lead (Pb)/B4C, or Pb were exposed to 100 kGy gamma irradiation in air and then annealed under nitrogen at 60–120 °C for 30–240 min. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectra retained the same characteristic band positions after irradiation, although their normalized band areas changed. Shore A hardness increased after irradiation in all formulations and remained above the corresponding pre-irradiation values after annealing. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of the SR-B4C formulation varied qualitatively with the annealing conditions, but absolute radical quantification and assignment of a unique reaction pathway were not possible. Because filler identity, filler loading, and silicone content varied simultaneously, differences among the formulations cannot be independently attributed to Pb, B4C, or filler–matrix interactions. Based on one independently prepared parent specimen per formulation, these results describe irradiation and annealing responses in composites with micrometer-sized fillers. They may inform future comparisons with silicone-based shielding nanocomposites under matched compositions and treatment conditions.
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BibTeX
@article{hu2026effects,
title = {{Effects of Gamma Irradiation and Heat Treatment on the ATR-FTIR Response and Shore A Hardness of Silicone Rubber-Based Composites}},
author = {Guang Hu and Fu Ji and Yihong Yan and Xu Wang and Chao Wang and Lingzhi Tang and Junqi Wang and Weiqiang Sun},
journal = {Nanomaterials},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/nano16201286},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/16/20/1286},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Effects of Gamma Irradiation and Heat Treatment on the ATR-FTIR Response and Shore A Hardness of Silicone Rubber-Based Composites
AU - Guang Hu
AU - Fu Ji
AU - Yihong Yan
AU - Xu Wang
AU - Chao Wang
AU - Lingzhi Tang
AU - Junqi Wang
AU - Weiqiang Sun
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Nanomaterials
DO - 10.3390/nano16201286
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/16/20/1286
AB - Silicone rubber (SR) composites are candidate radiation-shielding materials, but their irradiation and annealing responses remain incompletely understood. Three predefined formulations containing boron carbide (B4C), lead (Pb)/B4C, or Pb were exposed to 100 kGy gamma irradiation in air and then annealed under nitrogen at 60–120 °C for 30–240 min. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectra retained the same characteristic band positions after irradiation, although their normalized band areas changed. Shore A hardness increased after irradiation in all formulations and remained above the corresponding pre-irradiation values after annealing. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of the SR-B4C formulation varied qualitatively with the annealing conditions, but absolute radical quantification and assignment of a unique reaction pathway were not possible. Because filler identity, filler loading, and silicone content varied simultaneously, differences among the formulations cannot be independently attributed to Pb, B4C, or filler–matrix interactions. Based on one independently prepared parent specimen per formulation, these results describe irradiation and annealing responses in composites with micrometer-sized fillers. They may inform future comparisons with silicone-based shielding nanocomposites under matched compositions and treatment conditions.
SN - 2079-4991
ER -