X-ray spectra recorded during the fracture of solids and the breaking of adhesional bonds in a vacuum are compared with spectra obtained by irradiating the sample with an electron flux, and a possible explanation for the characteristics observed is offered.

The kinetics investigation of the radiation-induced graft polymerization of acrylic acid onto low density polyethylene by direct method in aqueous solution in the presence of Mohr's salt, was performed. The technique of the contrasting of polyacrylic acid (PAA) graft layer was worked out by Ag+-ions. The structural and morphological peculiarities of grafted copolymers of PE with PAA were determined by the method of electron probe, and X-ray microanalysis by means of the electron microscopy.

A structural-morphological study of radiation-grafted copolymers of PE with PAA has been carried out. It was shown that as well as the permeation of the PAA into the polymer, an increase in the PAA concentration in the grafted phase occurs, the rate of the subsequent process being about 1·5 times greater than that of the first one. Under given conditions, the process rate is not diffusion-controlled. It was shown that grafting is accompanied by breakdown of the para-crystalline structure of the PE. The conditions for complete covering of the PE surface with a grafted layer have been established.

The advantages of chiral N-substituted polyethylenimines for the chiroptical study of macromolecular conformations in solution have been considered. Poly[(S)(−)-N-α-methylbenzylethylenimine] (poly-3) and five model compounds have been obtained and their chiroptical properties studied. The cyclic dimer and tetramer of imine 3 are suitable models for the chiroptical study of configurational and conformational behaviour of randomly coiled and helical poly-3 in solution. Unlike the disordered poly-3 in acidified solvents and the configurational models in various solvents, helical poly-3 in hydrocarbon solvents has positive optical rotation and positive CD-band of the tertiary amine chromophore at 223 nm. The appearance of this inherently chiral chromophore of the helix explains the observed changes of the sign and values of the optical rotation of poly-3 in various solvents which are mainly caused by conformational transformations of the main chain. The presence of helical conformations of poly-3 in solution are also confirmed by optical rotation data of stereocopolymers and the concentration dependence data of ORD curves of poly-3. This conclusion agrees with NMR and i.r.-data.