ABSTRACT
Generally, the effects of ionizing radiation are a balance between ruptures and molecular rearrangements, such as cross-linking or cyclizations. There is no general rule of behavior, but trends can be identi†ed by considering the polymer structure and conditions of radiation. For the †rst aspect, the presence of a quaternary carbon atom on a polymer chain generally promotes β-scission, phenyl groups promote stability, double bonds (vinyl) and ethylene promote cross-linking. For the second aspect, radiolysis reactions and scissions are generally favored by the presence of oxygen, less by temperature, and very little by the dose rate.
