Effect of gamma and laser radiations on the thermal properties of Makrofol nuclear track detector

Abstract

A study of the modification possibility of the thermal properties of Makrofol polycarbonate solid-state nuclear track detector using gamma and laser radiations has been carried out. Samples from 300 μm thickness Makrofol sheets were classified into two main groups. The first group was irradiated with gamma doses at levels between 50 and 400 kGy, whereas the second group was exposed to infrared laser radiation with energy fluences at levels between 0.5 and 15 J/cm2. Non-isothermal studies were carried out using thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) to obtain the thermal activation energy of decomposition for the Makrofol detector. The results of TGA indicate that the Makrofol samples decompose in one main weight loss stage. Also, the irradiation of Makrofol polymer with gamma doses in the range 135–300 kGy or the exposure to laser energy fluences at levels between 8.3 and 15 J/cm2 leads to further enhancement of the thermal stability of the polymer samples due to the cross-linking phenomenon. This suggests that gamma radiation could be a suitable technique for producing a plastic material with enhanced properties that can be a useful candidate for high-temperature applications. In addition, the variation of transition temperatures with the gamma or laser doses has been determined using differential thermal analysis DTA. The results indicate that the irradiation with gamma in the dose range 50–135 kGy or the exposure to laser energy fluences at levels between 8.3 and 15 J/cm2 decreases the melting temperature of the Makrofol samples, and this is most suitable for applications requiring the molding of this polymer at lower temperatures.