| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1886027 | Radiation Physics and Chemistry | 2014 | 5 Pages |
•Various types of PE films/sheets have been evaluated for use as a potential dosimeter.•Attenuated total reflectance FTIR spectroscopy was utilized to analyze transvinylene formation in irradiated PE films/sheets.•PE films/sheets were exposed to ionizing radiation using a 5 MeV high-energy electron beam accelerator.•Analysis of TV peak formation at the 965 cm−1 wavenumber shows an upward trend of TV response to absorbed dose.
Various types of polyethylene (PE) have been evaluated in the past for use as a potential dosimeter, chiefly via the formation of an unsaturated transvinylene (TV) double-bond resulting from exposure to ionizing radiation. The utilization of attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy in characterizing TV formation in irradiated PE for a potential dosimeter has yet to be fully developed. In this initial investigation, various PE films/sheets were exposed to ionizing radiation in a high-energy 5 megaelectron volt (MeV) electron beam accelerator in the 10–500 kilogray (kGy) dose range, followed by ATR-FTIR analysis of TV peak formation at the 965 cm−1 wavenumber. There was an upward trend in TV formation for low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) sheets as a function of absorbed dose in the 10–50 kGy dose range, however, the TV response could not be equated to a specific absorbed dose. LDPE film displayed a downward trend from 50 kGy to 250 kGy and then scattering up to 500 kGy; HDPE sheets demonstrated an upward trend in TV formation up to 500 kGy. For ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) sheets irradiated up to 150 kGy, TV response was equivalent to non-irradiated UHMWPE, and a minimal upward trend was observed for 200 kGy to 500 kGy. The scatter of the data for the irradiated PE films/sheets is such that the TV response could not be equated to a specific absorbed dose. A better correlation of the post-irradiation TV response to absorbed dose may be attained through a better understanding of variables.
