Dielectric and mechanical spectroscopies for the study of thermal and radiochemical ageing of polymers

Thermal and/or radiochemical ageing of polymer has been extensively studied by thermal, FTIR, UV or static mechanical analysis. The aim of this work was to make a parallel study of dynamic mechanical and dielectrical properties of EPDM elastomers, and to present the possibility of using such methods for studying ageing. These analyses reflect not only the molecular dynamic, but also through dielectric spectroscopy the chemical evolution due to modification of dipolar species. Changes in the main relaxation peak, both in mechanical and dielectrical spectra, allow the degradation to be quantified.