Characterization and thermal stability of gamma irradiated CR-39 polymer

Abstract

The thermal behavior of pristine sample and gamma irradiated PADC (CR-39) polymer has been studied using thermogravimetric analysis. The changes in degradation activation energy and entropy of activation have been studied as a consequence of gamma irradiation. Water uptake of pristine sample and the effect of UV absorption have also been studied. CR-39 registers a weak effect of thermal stability for different gamma doses applied, while the etching process shows noticeable reduction in thermal stability of CR-39. The chemical structure of CR-39 detector registers high stability with gamma ray and UV of short wave length.