EFFECT OF MOLECULAR MOBILITY ON RADIATION -INDUCED ELECTRIC-CONDUCTIVITY OF POLYETHYLENE

The electric conduction induced in polyethylene by continuous irradiat ion with 75 keV electrons was studied. It was found that the behavior of the electric conductivity as a function of temperature, electric fi eld, and time could not be described in terms of the mechanism of quas i-ionic transport of charge carriers. It was concluded that the molecu lar mobility plays a key role in the transport of charge carriers. At temperatures between 190 and 373 K, the charge transport is controlled by the processes of gauche-trans isomerization and by segmental mobil ity. At temperature above 250 K, radiation-induced conductivity in pol yethylene is dominated by the diffusion-transfer mechanism of charge t ransfer in which alpha- and beta- relaxation processes play essential role.