Radiation‐induced oxidative degradation of poly(vinyl chloride)

Gas evolution and oxygen consumption in the γ‐irradiation of PVC were studied. The gas evolution and the oxidative degradation are retarded by the presence of plasticizers and stabilizers. The G (HCI) and G (H 2 ) and 8 and 0.24 for the irradiation of pure PVC under vacuum and 0.02 and 0.14 for that of plasticized PVC, respectively. Gas evolution increases in the presence of oxygen, specially for the pure PVC. The G (–O 2 ) values for the pure and plasticized PVC are 30 and 12, respectively. The dependence of gas evolution and oxygen consumption on the oxygen pressure is more pronounced for the plasticized PVC than pure PVC because the oxygen diffusion is controlled.