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Polypropylene (PP) and polyimide (PI), which belong to entirely different classes of polymers, are irradiated by Co-60 gamma radiation under similar doses and similar conditions in the dose range varying from 57.6 to 230.4 kGy. The radiation responses of these two polymers are analyzed by various characterizations such as Fourier transform infrared, UV–visible, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and contact angle. PP shows substantial modifications in its structure and properties while in the same dose range, PI shows remarkable stability. These two different responses are interpreted in terms of physicochemical structure and properties of these polymers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

By irradiating two macromolecules, namely polypropylene and polyimide having notably different physicochemical properties, with the same radiation under identical conditions, it is inferred that the mechanical and thermal degradation or the stability of the macromolecule exposed to high-energy radiation strongly correlates with its physicochemical structure. This is well supported by two distinct characterizations, namely stress–strain analysis and thermogravimetric analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]