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The present study suplements preceding investigations [1-5] concerning the distribution of chain-defects between crystalline regions and crystal surface, and extends them to the influence of annealing in case of drawn branched polyethylene (PE). For this purpose available unit cell data for annealed drawn PE with ɛ=3%, at various annealing temperatures and times, are examined by assuming the penetration of chain defects at interstitial crystal sites by means of 2gl kink generation. The analysis of results shows that the initial level of ∼8×10 chain defects expanding the lattice decreases linearly as a function of annealing temperature. After annealing at 100 °C during 3×10 min this level decreases to values < 10. It is suggested that these space-filling point defects can be converted through chain diffusion in 'amorphous' defects, 'cooperative' defects and/or in defects segregated into the surface layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]