| Abstract: | This work examines the correlation between the 1H‐NMR T2 relaxation constant and the mechanical properties of aged crosslinked polyolefin cable insulation. T2 experiments on unswollen samples could not differentiate between unaged and highly aged materials; all exhibited 1H T2 constants of approximately 0.5 ms. To accentuate the effects of aging, samples were swollen in various solvents. Unaged samples had T2 values of approximately 15 ms in good solvents. With thermal aging, T2 values decreased as the ultimate tensile elongation decreased. However, the correlation between T2 and elongation differed for samples irradiated with high‐energy radiation and for materials aged above versus below the crystalline melting temperature. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 2578–2582, 2003 |
