The major effects induced by accelerated electron irradiation on EVA based polymeric compound were evaluated for various doses up to 240 kGy. Some main characteristics (gel fraction, density, elongation at break, and tensile strength) were investigated. Oxygen uptake and thermal analysis methods (TG, DTG, and DTA) were applied for determination of oxidation resistance of radiation processed EVA samples. It was established that a 30 kGy exposure dose promotes maximum crosslinking. At this dose the density and tensile strength reach maximum values, which are maintained for higher doses up to 240 kGy. On the other hand, the thermooxidative stability exhibits a sharp decrease as the absorbed dose rises from 0 to 30 kGy and has a constant value for the absorbed dose range 30-240 kGy. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.