Radiation effects on a linear model compound for polyethers

Radiation effects on a model polyether - poly(tetramethylene) glycol (PTMG) induced by high energy radiation were investigated. To understand the degradation mechanism, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), electrospray and gas mass spectrometry (ESI-MS and gas-MS), were carried out to identify radicals and chemical modifications. Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) was used to follow the evolution of the distribution of molecular weight. On the basis of the results, a mechanism of degradation for PTMG is proposed.