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This report describes the work done and conclusions arrived at in an investigation of the basic properties of irradiated polyethylene memory materials. The properties affecting crosslinking, the main factor which determines the memory in polyethylene, were investigated using different commercial polyethylene materials. These properties included: Molecular Weight, Molecular Weight Distribution, and the Degree of Branching. It was found that the molecular weight distribution was the main factor that influences the crosslinking efficiency. In addition,the conditions at which the crosslinking occurs were investigated. These conditions are temperature, oxygen environment, and radiation dose. It was found that at irradiations conducted around 25 deg C., temperature is not an important factor but that the presence of oxygen does affect the crosslinking of thin films. jg p11