AGING OF ELASTOMERS IN NUCLEAR-POWER-PLANTS - EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE AND IRRADIATION

The thermo and radiooxidation of a poly(ethylene-co-methyl acrylate)-b ased industrial elastomer has been studied by various techniques. As a lready shown in the case of thermooxidation, these elastomers lead to crosslinking reactions when submitted to gamma irradiation in air. Con sidering that the thermooxidation rate follows an Arrhenius law, and t hat the radiooxidation rate is directly proportional to the dose rate, the predominant mechanism (thermooxidation or radiooxidation) can be defined, as a function of aging conditions. This method was successful for two different aging conditions.