Effect of High-Energy Radiation on Polypropylene

Abstract

THE radiation chemistry of polypropylene is of particular interest because its chemical constitution: is intermediate between that of polyisobutylene, which exhibits molecular degradation, and that of polyethylene in which although some degradation occurs, cross-linking predominates. It has been reported in the literature that polypropylene undergoes cross-linking on exposure to high-energy radiation¹, but no information has hitherto been reported as to the extent to which molecular degradation takes place. For this reason we have undertaken an investigation of the radiation chemistry of polypropylene, the preliminary results of which are given below.