The radiation curings of collagen/divinyl ether enhanced by several nitrogenous onium salts having relatively stable nonnucleophilic anion (PF6-)have been investigated. Results of glass transformation temperature (T-g) measurements and IR spectroscopy analysis and solvent extractions to the crosslinked polymer networks demonstrate that the curing reactions have been initiated by electron beam irradiation in the mixture system of collagen/divinyl ether and onium salts under different atmosphere conditions. The experimental data show the presence of an approximating linear relationship between double bond conversion and gel fraction after the calculation of conversion from IR spectra in oligomer and the measure of gel content at different total radiation doses. Practical values approximate theoretical values in applying gelation theory of the relationship of gel fraction and double bond conversion. In comparison with the influence of different inhibitors, the curing reaction with pyridinium salts is a polymerization and crosslinking of cationic mechanism, but radicals play an important role in initiation. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.