NUCLEONICS DATA SHEET No. 12 
Radiation Effects 
Stress-Strain Curves for Reactor-Irradiated Plastics 
THESE DATA were taken on commercial 
plastics irradiated in the ORNL graph- 
ite reactor. A discussion has been 
given in ORNL-928, ORNL-1373, and 
Nucteonics (July 55, p. 28; Oct. 
755, p. 51). 
Tests were run on a Baldwin uni- 
versal testing machine with recording 
extensiometer according to ASTM 
standard procedure D638-49T. Test- 
ing speed was 0.05 in./min to 0.02 
strain and then increased to 0.20 in./ 
min. Test specimens were }4¢ in. wide, 
446-14 in. thick, and strain (in./in.) 
was measured over a 2-in. gage length. 
Specimens were pretest conditioned to 
parecer cx 
6e raYaave) ay =i alo) | 
, Unirradiated , 
-5.6x10 
= 4% 
w BA! 
= >K Breaking E 
2 point © 
Lt) 
= Doses given 2p 
a In 109 rad 
w” 
ry 
= 
” 
Strain (in./in.) 
Polythene 
0.23 
Unirradiated 
0.8 
216 
Fluorothene 
0.06 
By C. D. BOPP and O. SISMAN 
Oak Ridge National Laboratory 
Oak Ridge, Tennessee 
25° C and 50% relative humidity. 
The plastics included here are: 
Amphenol (unmodified polystyrene), 
Styron 475 (black-pigment-filled poly- 
styrene), Royalite (styrene-acrylonitrile 
copolymer), Polythene (polyethylene), 
Fluorothene (polymonochlorotrifluoro- 
ethylene), Teflon (polytetrafluoroethyl- 
ene), Catalin(unfilled phenol-formalde- 
hyde plastic), paper-base and asbestos- 
fiber-base Bakelite (phenol-formalde- 
hyde), Haveg (phenolic-bonded as- 
bestos), Karbate (phenolic-bonded 
graphite), Nylon FM 3003 (polyamide), 
Saran (vinyl-vinylidene chloride poly- 
mer), Butacite (polyvinyl butyral), 
 : Bea 
: Se g0e0 
Se mrematenele 
Unirradiated 
O 0.4 
0.4 0.8 
0.8 
Unirrodiated 
Unirradiated 
2.0 
Beetle (urea formaldehyde polymer), 
Melmac (melamine formaldehyde poly- 
mer), Plaskon Alkyd (alkyd polyester), 
Lucite (polymethyl! methacrylate), Am- 
eroid (casein plastic), CR-39 (allyl 
diglycol carbonate polyester), Vinylite 
(vinyl chloride acetate polymer), Cib- 
anite (aniline formaldehyde), Polectron 
(polyvinyl carbazole), Duralon (furan 
resin with asbestos and carbon black 
filler), Pyralin (cellulose nitrate), Plas- 
tacele (cellulose acetate)—other cel- 
lulosics behave similarly—Geon 2046 
(polyvinyl chloride), Selectron 5038 
(polyester), and Formvar (polyvinyl 
formal). 
ropa cenenemstnre re ™ 
1.8 (broke at 8,500 Ibsin? 
Unirradiated, ° 
broke of 
ot £ SS 
0.02 0.04 0.06 
0.08 
2.4 
