INTRODUCTIONIt has been known for a number of years that polytetrafluoroethylene degrades when subjected to ionizing radiation in ordinary atmospheres. l p 2 More recently, radiation experiments have been conducted in inert atmosp h e r e~~ leading to materials with tensile breaking strengths far superior to samples irradiated a t equivalent dosages in air. Electron spin resonance (ESR) measurements have shown the presence of -.CF&FCF2-. groups14-' and -.CF2-CFZ.13 and reactions of these radicals with oxygen and other radical acceptors have been described. The irradiation experiments were conducted, for the most part, on sintered, fabricated forms of the resin.In the present work, compacted virgin resin was used and all irradiations were carried out in high vacuum. Changes in molecular weight were followed using specific gravity and melt viscosity measurements on the subsequently melted samples. Additional information concerning the reactions that occur during and after irradiation is also presented.
EXPERIMENTAL
Irradiation(1) The irradiation source was a 3-m.e.v. Van de Graaff accelerator. The samples were passed under a beam of 2-m.e.v. electrons at 250 pamp. at a rate to provide exposure to 11 w.-sec./cm.2 per pass.(2) For the studies relating the molecular weight changes in polytetrafluoroethylene to irradiation, samples were prepared by placing three grams of Teflon 1 TFE-fluorocarbon resin in a cylindrical mold cavity 11/2 in. in diameter and subjecting the resin to pressures of ZOO0 psi for 3 min. at room temperature. Care was taken to distribute the resin evenly in the mold cavity to produce test specimens of uniform thickness and density. Pressure was applied and released gradually to allow escape of air and prevent impact stresses in the specimens. ether resin to a vacuum stopcock for evacuation. The evacuations were carried out overnight using a mercury diffusion pump capable of reducing the pressure to mm. mercdry. The evacuated tubes were partially immersed in ice and subjected to ten passes at 250 pamp and 2 m.e.v. in a Van de Graaff generator. The stopcocks were protected with lead shielding. This exposure was sufficient to prnduce a concentration of radicals in excess of lO''/cc. of polymer. Before these radicals could be examined by ESR measurements, the radicals simultaneously produced in the quartz tube itself were destroyed by heating. During this procedure, the radicals in the polymer were protected by inverting the tube while the tip was heated. The section of the tube containing the polymer was kept cool with a moistened towel. The ESR measurements were made at frequencies in the range of 9300 Mcyoles/sec. and fields of about 3300 gauss.(4) For the graft polymerization experiments, 1 and 2 g. samples of Teflon 1 resin powder were irradiated in vacuum in 50 cc., round-bottomed flasks. The flasks were equipped with tungsten leads to avoid crackiqg during the irradiation, puncturable rubber tips to provide means for injection of reactants with hypodermic syringes after irradiation, and three-...