Abstract
Gypsum/ poly(butyl acrylate) composites have been prepared based on natural gypsum and the monomer butyl acrylate by means of gamma irradiation. The conversion of polymerization was followed up with respect to the irradiation dose using thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). The data show that yield of polymerization increases with increasing the irradiation dose. A yield of about 98% was achieved by exposure of the samples to a dose of 5 kGy. A thermomechanical analyzer (TMA) was used to locate the range of the glass transition temperatures (Tg) using the mode with alternative variable force; the mode with constant force was used to determine the Tg of the pure polymer and the composite prepared at the same irradiation dose. Also differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) was used to ensure the location of the glass transition temperatures. Keywords: Gypsum; polymer composites; butyl acrylate; polymerization; radiation