The Effect of Nuclear Reactor Radiation on the Electrical and Mechanical Properties of Epoxide Polymers
The Effect of Nuclear Reactor Radiation on the Electrical and Mechanical Properties of Epoxide Polymers
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Date
1965
Authors
Kincaid, Charles Vernon
Advisor
Duffey, Dick
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Abstract
The effect of nuclear reactor radiation on the volume
resistivity, bulk compressibility, specific volume, and
hardness of three epoxide polymers was studied. The polymers
were thermally polymerized and then subjected to varying radiation doses in the enriched uranium, water moderated,
heterogeneous nuclear reactor located at the University of
Maryland.
Changes in the volume resistivity as a function of temperature
for the various radiation doses was then determined
by the use of an electrometer to measure the potential drop
across the specimen. The effect of radiation on the bulk
compressibility was determined by means of a special compressibility
tester over the pressure range one to 8,000
atmospheres and temperatures 25°C to 250°C. The specific volume and hardness were measured for each sample before
and after irradiation using standard techniques.
The temperature dependence of the electrical volume resistivity
was initially increased by exposure to 2.5 Mrads.
Further irradiation up to 25 Mrads caused severe degradation
of the temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity
for all epoxide polymers studied .
The magnitude of the compressibility for the polymers
was found to be relatively unaffected by irradiation up to
25 Mrads; however, determination of the pressure-induced
glass transition yielded anomalous results.
No significant change in the hardness of the polymers
was noted after varying amounts of radiation. The specific
volume of an aromatic cured epoxide was not affected to any
extent , but the aliphatic cured polymer showed a decreased
specific volume.