Shaped polymeric articles

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF PREPARING A SHAPED ARTICLE EXHIBITING DIMENSIONAL AND THERMAL STABILITY AND RESISTANCE TO OXIDATIVE DEGRADATION AT TEMPERATURES UP TO 350* C. WHICH COMPRISES (1) PREPARING AN INTIMATE MIXTURE OF FROM 60 TO 95 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF (A) AT LEAST ONE OF THE HYDROCARBON POLYMERS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF POLETHYLENE, POLYPROPYLENE, AND COPOLYMERS OF ETHYLENE WITH OLEFINICALLY-UNSATURATED HYDROCARBONS, THE OLEFINICALLY-UNSATURATED HYDROCARBON COMONOMER BEING PRESENT IN THE COPOLYMER IN A SMALL PROPORTION WHICH IS INSUFFICIENT TO DETRACT MATERIALLY FROM THE FUNDAMENTAL PROPERTIES OF THE HOMOPOLYMER, AND A COMPLEMENTARY PROPORTION OF FROM 40 TO 5 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF (B) AT LEAST ONE ORGANIC COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MONOMERIC METHACYLIC ACID AND ITS ESTERS, MONOMERIC ACRYLIC ACID AND ITS ESTERS, POLYMETHYLMETHACRYLATE, POLYMETHACRYLIC ACID, ALKYD POLYESTER RESINS, POLYVINYL HAIDE, AND POLYVINYLIDENE HALIDE; (2) PREPARING A SHAPED ARTICLE FROM SAID MIXTURE, AND (3) IRRADATING SAID SHAPED ARTICLE WITH HIGH ENERGY, IONIZING RADIATION FOR A TIME SUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE A RADIATION DOSE OF FROM 36X105 RADS TO 720X105 RADS.