Creep tests of an epoxy resin during bending and irradiation have been carr
ied out to investigate the synergistic effects of radiation and stress on m
echanical properties of the resin. Simultaneous application of stress and i
rradiation on the epoxy resin enhanced creep rates in comparison with the a
pplication of stress on an irradiated sample. In order to clarify the mecha
nism of the radiation-induced creep, measurements of solvent swelling of sp
ecimens have been performed. The swelling increased with the dose and the i
ncrease of the swelling corresponds to the increase of the chain scission.
The mechanism of increased deformation of the resin during irradiation is p
roposed to be caused by increased chain scission following the release of t
he local strain energy. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.