Structure, thermal, optical and electrical investigation of the effect of heavy highly energetic ions irradiations in Bayfol DPF 5023 nuclear track detector

•Fe ion irradiation led to a more compact structure of Bayfol with enhanced thermal stability.•Both average molecular mass and isotropic nature of Bayfol increased with irradiation.•The Bayfol samples showed significant color sensitivity toward Fe ion irradiation.•Fe ion irradiation provides mobile-free charge carriers that increase DC conductivity.

The effects of 28 GeV 56Fe ion irradiation on the structural, thermal, optical and electrical properties of Bayfol DPF 5023 have been investigated. Samples from Bayfol sheets have been irradiated using different Fe fluences in the range 1×1012 to 5×1015 ion/cm2. The total energy deposited is between (28×1021 eV and 14×1025 eV). The resultant effect of Fe ion irradiation on the properties of Bayfol has been investigated using FTIR spectroscopy, intrinsic viscosity, Thermogravimetric Analysis TGA, refractive index, color changes, and DC conductivity. The results indicate that the Fe ion irradiation in the fluence range 1012–1015 ion/cm2 led to a more compact structure of Bayfol polymer, which resulted in an improvement in its thermal stability with an increase in activation energy of thermal decomposition and crosslinking. This crosslinking enhanced the intrinsic viscosity of Bayfol from 0.58 to 0.89 at 35 °C, indicating an increase in the average molecular mass. This was accompanied with an increase in refractive index. Further, the transmission of Bayfol samples in the wavelength range of 370–780 nm, as well as any color changes, was studied. The color intensity ΔE was increased with increasing the Fe fluence, and was accompanied by a significant increase in the blue color component.