Radiation damage in polyacrylonitrile

Radiation damage in polyacrylonitrile (PAN) has been studied in the temperature range 273 to 420 K using thermoluminescence, electron spin resonance and optical absorption techniques. A TL glow peak has been observed with maximum at 362 K. The species responsible for the TL glow peak has been identified to be due to the free radical -CH2-CH(CN)-ĊH-CH(CN)-CH2-by correlation with the data obtained by the temperature variation of ESR and optical absorption spectra of the x-irradiated, pre- and post- x-irradiated and thermally-treated samples. A mechanism of formation of network structures accelerated by the free radicals formed on irradiation has been investigated to explain the optical absorption spectra. The TL glow peak is analysed by various methods and corresponds to an activation energy of 1 eV, following second order kinetics. © 1982, Indian Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.