Formation of optical color and fluorescence centers in polytetrafluoroethylene under γ-irradiation

Abstract

Fluorescent properties and colors of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) samples were studied as functions of absorbed dose of γ-radiation at a temperature above the melting temperature of the crystallites (327°C) in the dose range 0.2–0.8 MGy. The samples were irradiated at low pressure (10–6 Torr) in glass ampuls and at atmospheric pressure in a chamber purged with argon. Samples in ampuls acquired an off-white tint and fluoresced weakly. The fluorescence intensity increased slowly as the radiation dose increased from 0.2 to 0.6 MGy and decreased at 0.8 MGy. Samples irradiated in the chamber fluoresced more strongly and acquired colors that changed from gray (0.2 MGy) to dark-brown (0.8 MGy). Color centers were formed only in the sample surface layer. Their appearance was associated with the adsorption of particles of an unknown nature from the environment. The argon-purged samples turned white upon removing their surface layer (50 μm). The intensity and shape of fluorescence bands emitted by these samples remained essentially unaltered, i.e., depended weakly on the absorbed dose in the range 0.2–0.8 MGy.