Spectroscopic and thermal studies of 8 MeV electron beam irradiated HPMC films

Radiation-induced changes in hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) films under electron irradiation were investigated and correlated with dose. Polymer samples were irradiated in air at room temperature by an electron beam accelerator in the range of 0–100 kGy. Various properties of the irradiated films were studied using a Ultraviolet–Visible spectrophotometer and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Electron irradiation was found to induce changes in the physical, chemical and thermal properties, depending on the irradiation dose.