Electron Beam Damage in Poly(vinyl chloride) and Poly(acrylonitrile) as Observed by Auger Electron Spectroscopy

Abstract

AES spectra of spun-cast films of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN) were collected over a period of time to determine specimen damage during exposure to a 10 kV electron beam. For the PVC, loss of chlorine was observed over a period of 203 min to the extent that the final chlorine content was only 20% of its original value. PAN exhibited a loss in nitrogen content over a period of 120 min, but the rate of damage to the polymer was significantly less than PVC. A dose of approximately 7.0 × 10−5 C/cm2 is needed for the chlorine concentration to fall from its original value by 10% (one definition of critical dose). For the PAN film, the critical dose is 1.3 × 10−3 C/cm2, approximately 20 times greater than for PVC, demonstrating a greater resistance to damage from a 10 keV electron beam.