RTL study of structural modifications in irradiated PTFE

The exposure of polytetrafluorethylene to the action of high energy radiation is examined by radiation thermoluminescence. The radiolysis causes the formation of various traps, which correspond to four maxima in the glow curve of PTFE. The activation energy of molecular motion is discussed. The modification of emission intensity at a large dose range is evaluated for three glow maxima that appear at 139, 173 and 205 K. The RTL emission is correlated with different types of oxygenated products that are formed during the radiolysis of PTFE. Changes in other properties like molecular mass, density, crystallinity are investigated for emphasizing the radiodegradation in this matrix. The mechanism of RTL emission is explained by the recombination of thermalized electrons with positive intermediates.