Radiation Mechanisms in Polymers

Investigating polymers irradiated under various conditions provides information on many of the processes occurring between initial energy absorption and final physical and chemical change. Among factors which can modify these reactions are the type of radiation, presence of oxygen and of additives, degree of crystallinity, and presence of solvent. Reactions may also be affected by nonlocalization of absorbed energy, energy transfer, electron trapping and recapture, and abstraction by high and low energy hydrogen atoms. Several new techniques are available to study these intermediate states. Radiation treatment of polymers can be used to investigate crystal morphology, reinforcement, and electrical properties. Many of these results are applicable to radiobiology.