Prolonged radiation exposure commonly causes which change in plastic piping?

Prolonged radiation exposure commonly causes which change in plastic piping?

• A. Ductility
• B. Brittleness
• C. Elasticity
• D. Toughness

Answer: (B)

Prolonged exposure to ionizing radiation ages plastics by damaging their polymer chains, which makes the material lose its ability to deform and absorb energy. When radiation breaks many chemical bonds in the chains and promotes oxidation, the plastic becomes stiffer and less ductile. That loss of plastic deformability is what we describe as embrittlement, so plastic piping exposed to a long dose of radiation tends to become brittle and crack rather than bend. In contrast, ductility refers to how much a material can stretch or deform before breaking, elasticity is about recovering shape after deformation, and toughness is the overall energy the material can absorb before fracturing. While embrittlement can also reduce toughness, the specific change most characteristic of prolonged radiation exposure in plastics is the onset of brittleness, leaving the pipe more prone to cracking under stress.

Prolonged exposure to ionizing radiation ages plastics by damaging their polymer chains, which makes the material lose its ability to deform and absorb energy. When radiation breaks many chemical bonds in the chains and promotes oxidation, the plastic becomes stiffer and less ductile. That loss of plastic deformability is what we describe as embrittlement, so plastic piping exposed to a long dose of radiation tends to become brittle and crack rather than bend.

In contrast, ductility refers to how much a material can stretch or deform before breaking, elasticity is about recovering shape after deformation, and toughness is the overall energy the material can absorb before fracturing. While embrittlement can also reduce toughness, the specific change most characteristic of prolonged radiation exposure in plastics is the onset of brittleness, leaving the pipe more prone to cracking under stress.