The changes of C
1 and C
2 of Mooney-Rivlin plot of elastomer by irradiation was studied.
The sample used is tetrafluoroethylene-propylene copolymer. Scission reaction of the polymer chain is predominant when the diffusion of oxygen is sufficient enough during irradiation. On the other hand, irradiation without oxygen in the polymer increases the crosslinking density.
The result for three cases are as follows:
(1) Values of C
1 increase and that of C
2 decrease with increasing dose when the cross-linking density of the elastomer increase by irradiation.
(2) Both C
1 and C
2 decreases with increasing dose when the irradiation causes a decrease in cross-linking density of the polymer.
(3) The third case, where the cross-linking density was maintained the constant by the alternative irradiation of γ ray (60kGy) and electron beam (40kGy).
The operation (alternating irradiation) causes the same amount of scission and cross-linking in the polymer.
C
1 increases slightly with increasing the times of operation and C
2 decreases with increasing the times of that.
The result suggests that C
2 decreases with decreasing the effective long network chain by irradiation.
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