Radiation-induced stress change in polymers during irradiation by electrons

The goal of this study is to experimentally validate equations previously used to describe a radiation-induced stress change (RSC) in polymers. Radiation-induced creep is due to the freeing of volumes of the material with the breakdown of a bond. With an increase in molecular mobility, the contribution of single defects to creep may be an appreciable fraction of the contribution of submicrocracks. According to the authors, this should lead to lessening of the temperature and force dependences of creep. All ruptured bonds, regardless of their load level, contribute to RSC in the degradation of stressed chemical bonds. Thus, the RSC reflects the gross process of breakdown of molecules. A change in the dose rate does not change the conditions of breakdown of stressed bonds, and there is no change in the dependence of the rate of degradation on dose rate for macromolecules with any stress.