Lambri, O.; Mocellini, R.; Garcia, J.; Matteo, C.; Zelada-Lambri, G.; Plazaola, F.; Solrichetti, P.; Sancez, F.; Tarditti, F.
CONICET; Universidad Nacional de Rosario; Universidad del País Vasco; UBA; CNEA
We show in this work that the same effects at the mesoscopic level, of long term exposition of EPDM to electromagnetic fields in outdoor in-service applications can be achieved by short neutron irradiation doses and/or times. This is a significant advantage of neutron irradiation, in comparison to other accelerated ageing treatments that are not able to reproduce accurately the mesoscopic evolution of the EPDM under outdoor ageing in-service. The results of several experimental techniques as dynamic mechanical analysis, positron annihilation and dielectric relaxation are coupled here and applied to neutron irradiated and to outdoor inservice aged EPDM. This coupling uses the results of a new model for describing the strain misfit in two-phase polymer and its related elastic energy.
