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Radiation-oxidation of polymers

Description/Abstract

Radiation effects on polymers in the presence of air are characterized by complicated phenomena such as dose-rate effects and post-irradiation degradation. Most applications of polymeric materials in radiation environments involve air atmospheres. Taking account of oxidation effects and time-dependent phenomena is a necessity for understanding materials changes which occur during aging, and for dealing with issues of materials lifetime prediction, aging monitoring, materials selection, and material stabilization. Time-dependent radiation-degradation effects can be understood mechanistically in terms of: (1) features of the free radical chain-reaction chemistry underlying the oxidation, and (2) oxygen diffusion effects. A profiling technique has been developed to study heterogeneous degradation resulting from oxygen diffusion, and kinetic schemes have been developed to allow long-term aging predictions from short-term high-dose-rate experiments. These methodologies have been successfully applied for predicting degradation rates of a number of different materials under ambient nuclear environments. Low molecular weight additives which act either as free-radical scavengers or else as energy-scavengers are effective as stabilizers in radiation-oxidation environments. Non-radical oxidation mechanisms, involving species such as ozone, can also be important in the radiation-oxidation of polymers. 14 refs., 13 figs.

Authors: Clough, R.L.; Gillen, K.T.
Publication Date:1989 Jan 01
OSTI Identifier:OSTI ID: 6050016; Legacy ID: DE89014135
Report Number(s):SAND-89-1756C; CONF-8907108-1
DOE Contract Number:AC04-76DP00789
Resource Type:Conference/Event
Resource Relation: IAEA advisory group meeting on radiation degradation of polymers, Takasaki, Japan, 17-20 Jul 1989; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
Research Org:Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
Country of Publication:United States
Language:English
Format: Size: Pages: 16
Other Number(s):Other: ON: DE89014135
Specific Type:Technical Report
Subject:36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; POLYMERS; RADIATION EFFECTS; AGING; AIR; CHEMICAL RADIATION EFFECTS; DIFFUSION; ELONGATION; IRRADIATION; MECHANICAL PROPERTIES; OXIDATION; OZONE; PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS; PROPYLENE; PVC; TIME DEPENDENCE; ALKENES; CHEMICAL REACTIONS; CHEMISTRY; CHLORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS; FLUIDS; GASES; HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS; HYDROCARBONS; ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS; ORGANIC POLYMERS; POLYVINYLS; RADIATION CHEMISTRY
Availability:NTIS, PC A03/MF A01 - OSTI; 1.
Update Date:2008 Feb 07

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