Mechanistical studies on the electron-induced degradation of polymers: polyethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, and polystyrene

Mechanisms of the electron-induced degradation of three polymers utilized in aerospace applications (polyethylene (PE), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and polystyrene (PS)) were examined over a temperature range of 10 K to 300 K at ultra high vacuum conditions (∼10−11 Torr). These processes simulate the interaction of secondary electrons generated in the track of galactic cosmic ray particles in the near-Earth space environment with polymer...