Mechanism of radiation-induced degradation of bisphenol-A polycarbonate

We report here a new approach to study the mechanism of radiation-induced degradation of polymeric materials based on the combined analysis of radiolytic gases, and pyrolytic products from preirradiated polymers by flash pyrolysis coupled to gas chromatography -Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy- mass spectrometry with electron impact mode (GC-FTIR-MS). Bisphenol-A polycarbonate (PC) was studied in the dose range from 0.125 to 1.0 MGy. PC irradiation was accompanied by the preferential release of carbon monoxide followed by minor production of hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane. Pyrolyzed PC releases mainly carbon dioxide, methane, benzene, toluene, phenol and 4-methylphenol. On the basis of these results we suggest two main pathways of PC radiation-induced scission with equal probabilities: (a) carbonate bond and (b) aliphatic-aromatic bond ruptures.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Navarro-González,Rafael, Aliev,Roustam
Format: Digital revista
Language:English
Published: Sociedad Química de México A.C. 2001
Online Access:http://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0583-76932001000400006
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