Advanced Physical Research

In this work, for the first time, a composition based on high-density polyethylene (HDPE) grade PE100 was developed, distinguished by a very small amount of succinic anhydride (SA) additives (up to 0.05 wt.%) and their technological compatibility. The additive content in the HDPE composition varied within the range of 0.01–0.1 wt.%. The results of experiments investigating the effect of small amounts of succinic anhydride (SA) additives on the electrical durability (lifetime) and on the molecular-structural changes in HDPE under conditions of electrical aging, UV irradiation and γ -irradiation are presented. It was established that a content of 0.05 wt.% (SA) is optimal, as an increase in its dielectric strength of approximately 50 % is observed, along with a significant improvement in resistance to the effects of electrical discharges, UV irradiation and γ-irradiation, compared both to the original HDPE and to other additive contents. The microstructure of HDPE modified with succinic anhydride was investigated using scanning electron microscopy methods. The mechanism of ionization aging and the role of the modifying additive were elucidated by IR spectroscopy. It was shown that the introduction of the organic additive succinic anhydride into HDPE in an amount of (0.05 wt.%) contributes to a noticeable reduction in the intensity of C=O group formation (1720 cm⁻¹), which serves as a measure of oxidative degradation of polymer chains. It was found that in the modified HDPE film sample, the optical density of IR absorptions of terminal carbonyl groups is significantly lower than the optical density of the corresponding bands in the original sample.