Review of radiation processing

The following aspects are discussed: radiation treatment of plastics and rubber; choice of radiation source (electron beam, x radiation, gamma radiation, etc.); reactions due to radical and ionic species; flexibility of conditions for treatment; reaction kinetics; chemistry of radiation processing; radiation doses; economics; polymerization; graft copolymers; polymerization of fabricated materials in situ; crosslinking; degradation of plastics and rubbers; physical and chemical properties of polymers; industrial applications. (U.K.)