Ion bombardment effects in polymers

Abstract

Abstract Ion bombardment of organic materials produces dramatic changes in their properties associated with disruption and rearrangement of the original chemical bonding and formation of new molecular products. In polymers, bombardment results in cross linking and/or chain scission, gas evolution and eventual carbonization. In films of relatively non-volatile organic molecules ion bombardment can result in polymerization or in decomposition with metallic residue film formation. Intense laser radiation in polymers can lead to material ablation through explosive ejection processes. Similar explosive effects are implied by the results of ion beam irradiation of nitrocellulose. The status of the field of ion bombardment effects in organic materials is still in its infancy from the point of view of detailed understanding of the mechanisms involved. This article is a brief review of the diversity of effects being studied.