Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

FT-IR investigations on effect of high doses of gamma radiation-induced damage to polystyrene and mechanism of formation of radiolysis products

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Radiation and Environmental Biophysics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The present article focuses on the influence of gamma irradiation and post-irradiation storage conditions on FT-IR spectra of 1 mm thick polystyrene irradiated with 51, 77 and 129 kGy. The increase in amplitude corresponding to 3600, 3400 and 2100 cm− 1 stretching frequencies clearly showing the formation of O–H and C=O bonds (~ 25%). On prolonged storage (2160 h) in the dark, there is an increase in O–H group (~ 28%). The electron cloud facilitates the formation of hydroxyl group in irradiated polystyrene. The post-irradiation treatment with heat conversely showed a reduction of O–H, C–H and C=O (9–16%) groups due to radical–radical recombination at higher temperatures and light intensities. This investigation finds its applications in memory devices, optical sensors, radiation dosimetry and different space and radiation facilities.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Achhammer BG, Reiney MJ, Reinhart FW (1951) Study of degradation of polystyrene using infrared spectrophotometry. J Res Nat Bur Stand 47:116

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Borodinov N, Giammarco J, Patel N, Agarwal A, O’Donnell KR, Kucera CJ, Jacobsohn LG, Luzinov I (2015) Stability of grafted polymer nanoscale films toward gamma irradiation. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 7(34):19455–19465

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buchalla R, Boess C, Bögl KW (2000) Analysis of volatile radiolysis products in gamma-irradiated LDPE and polypropylene films by thermal desorption-gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Appli Radiat Isotopes 52:251–269

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buchalla R, Begley TH, Morehouse KM (2002) Analysis of low-molecular weight radiolysis products in extracts of gamma-irradiated polymers by gas chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography. Radiat Phys Chem 63:837–840

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Charlesby A (1977) Radiation induced crosslinking of polystyrene effect of molecular weight. Radiat Phys Chem 10:177–181

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Coates J (2000) Interpretation of infrared spectra, a practical approach. In: Meyers RA (ed) Encyclopedia of analytical chemistry. Wiley, Chichester, pp 10815–10837

    Google Scholar 

  • Cota SS, Vasconcelos VD, Senne JrM, Carvalho LL, Rezende DB, Côrrea RF (2007) Changes in mechanical properties due to gamma irradiation of high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Braz J Chem Eng 24(2):259–265

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Geuskens G, Baeyens-Volant D, Delaunois G, Lu-Vinh Q, Piret W, David C (1978) Photo-oxidation of polymers—I: a quantitative study of the chemical reactions resulting from irradiation of polystyrene at 253.7 nm in the presence of oxygen. Eur Polymer J 14:291–297

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta D, Wang L, Hanssen LM, Hsia JJ, Datla RV (1995) Standard reference materials: polystyrene films for calibrating the wavelength scale of infrared spectrophotometers-SRM 1921. NIST Special Publication, pp 260–122

  • International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) (2000) Technical Reports Series No. 398. Absorbed dose determination in external beam radiotherapy: An international code of practice for dosimetry based on standards of absorbed dose to water. IAEA, Vienna, 2000 ISSN 1011–4289

  • Jambeck JR, Geyer R, Wilcox C, Siegler TR, Perryman M, Andrady A, Narayan R, Law KL (2015) Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean. Science 347:768–771

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Kassem M, Bassiouni M, El-Muraikhi M (2002) The effect of γ-irradiation on the optical properties of polyoxymethylene compacts. J Mat Sci Mater Electron 13:717–719

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lacoste J, Vaillant D, Carlsson DJ (1993) Gamma-, photo-, and thermally-initiated oxidation of isotactic polypropylene. J Polymer Sci Part A Polymer Chem 31(3):715–722

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Lee EH (1999) Ion-beam modification of polymeric materials-fundamental principles and applications. Nucl Instr Meth Phys Res B151:29–41

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Martinez-Barrera G, Lopez H, Castano V, Rodriguez R (2004) Studies on the rubber phase stability in gamma irradiated polystyrene-SBR blends by using FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy. Radiat Phys Chem 69:155–162

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • O’Donnell J (1991) Chemistry of radiation degradation of polymers. In: Clough RLSSW (ed) Radiation effects on polymers. American Chemical Society, Washingtonm DC, pp 402–413

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Parashar P, Datt S (1993) Effect of gamma-ray irradiation on the mechanical strength of polystyrene-ferrocene composite. Polym Testing 12:429–435

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosu C, Cueto R, Veillon L, David C, Laine RA, Russo PS (2017) Discovering Volatile Chemicals from Window Weatherstripping through solid-phase microextraction/gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. J Chem Educ 94(11):1784–1789

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tian Q, Takács E, Krakovsky I, Horváth ZE, Rosta L, Almásy L (2015) Study on the microstructure of polyester polyurethane irradiated in air and water. Polymers 7:1755–1766

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams JL, Dunn TS (1983) Advances in the radiation stabilization of polypropylene. Radiat Phys Chem 22:209–214

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • World Centric Organization (2017) http://www.worldcentric.org/sustainability/energy-savings. Accessed 24 Aug 2017

  • Zhu D, Austerlitz C, Benhabib S, Mota H, Allison RR, Campos D (2010) Study of a spherical phantom for gamma knife dosimetry. J App Clin Med Phys 11(2):222–229

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge Mr. P. Thillaimani (Technical Officer) and the technical assistants at Central Instrumentation Facility, Pondicherry University. This work was supported by DST-FIST [SR/FST/LSI-366/2008 Dt.18.02.2009] and UGC-SAP [F.4 − 2/2015/DRS-III/(SAP-II) Dt. 31.03.2015].

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, 605014, India

    P. Vivek Vardhan & Lata Israni Shukla

Authors
  1. P. Vivek Vardhan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lata Israni Shukla
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lata Israni Shukla.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOCX 244 KB)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Vardhan, P.V., Shukla, L.I. FT-IR investigations on effect of high doses of gamma radiation-induced damage to polystyrene and mechanism of formation of radiolysis products. Radiat Environ Biophys 57, 301–310 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00411-018-0740-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00411-018-0740-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation