Radiolysis of Aqueous Solutions of 1,1- and 1,2-Dichloroethane

Abstract

The yields of chloride ion and molecular hydrogen were determined in the gamma, the fast electron, and the 5 MeV helium ion radiolysis of deaerated and aerated aqueous solutions of 1,1- and 1,2-dichloroethane. In deaerated solutions irradiated with gamma-rays or fast electrons, the yield of chloride ion increases while the yield of molecular hydrogen decreases with increasing dichloroethane concentration. These results are due to the quantitative reaction of both the hydrated electron and the hydrogen atom with the dichloroethane to produce chloride ions. The yield of chloride ions is significantly larger in aerobic than in anaerobic conditions and is dependent upon the dose rate. Formation of peroxyl radicals by the reaction of molecular oxygen with chlorinated hydrocarbon radicals and their subsequent chemistry are responsible for the observed increase in chloride ions. The yield of chloride ion with 5 MeV helium ions is smaller than with gamma irradiation, while the yield of molecular hydrogen is larger reflecting the higher density of reactive species and consequent increase in intratrack reactions in a helium ion track compared to a gamma-ray track.