The radiothermal ageing of silane-crosslinked low-density PE (Si-XLPE) films was studied in the air under three different γ dose rates (8.5, 77.8, and 400 Gy·h-1) at a low temperature close to ambient (47, 47, and 21 °C, respectively). Changes in crystalline morphology were investigated using a multi-technique approach based on differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide- (WAXS) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and density measurements. In particular, the changes in four structural variables were accurately monitored during radiothermal ageing: crystallinity ratio (XC), crystalline lamellae thickness (LC), long period (Lp), and interlamellar spacing (La). Concerning the changes in XC, a perfect agreement was found between DSC and WAXS experiments. Successive sequences of self-nucleation and annealing (SSA) were also performed on aged Si-XLPE samples in the DSC chamber in order to assess the thickness distribution of crystalline lamellae. This method allowed the thermally splitting of the melting domain of Si-XLPE into a series of elementary melting peaks, with each one characterised by a distinct thickness of crystalline lamellae. DSC (used with the SSA method) showed a slight increase in LC during the oxidation of Si-XLPE, while SAXS confirmed a catastrophic decrease in La. The critical value of the interlamellar spacing characterising the ductile/brittle transition of Si-XLPE was found to be of the same order of magnitude as that for linear polyethylene (LaF≈6 nm). This structural end-of-life criterion can now be used for predicting the lifetime of Si-XLPE in a nuclear environment.
Keywords: chain scissions; chemicrystallisation; embrittlement; lamellar thickening; radiothermal oxidation; silane-crosslinked polyethylene.