Electron Irradiation of Polythene

Abstract

CONSIDERABLE attention has recently been given to the effects of high-energy radiation on polymeric substances¹. The effects would appear to be of the same fundamental character whether X-rays, electron bombardment, or the mixed radiations of the atomic pile are used; it is reported that in the absence of oxygen the dominant reactions are either cross-linking or chain-scission, and polymers have been classified according to their behaviour in these respects when irradiated. Some of the most interesting effects have been observed in polythene, where cross-linking causes major changes in physical and mechanical properties, particularly at temperatures above the crystalline melting point.