The etching, optical and thermal response of a newly developed nuclear track detector called NADAC-ADC copolymer to gamma-irradiation

Abstract

The bulk-etch rates of a newly developed track detector which is a copolymer of N-allyloxycarbonyl diethanolamine-bis allylcarbonate (NADAC) and allyl diglycol carbonate (ADC) [NADAC-ADC (1:1, w/w)] have been determined at different temperatures to deduce its activation energy. The energy of activation is found to be (0.93 ± 0.07) eV. This compares very well with the values of activation energy reported in the literature for the most commonly used nuclear track detectors. The effects of gamma irradiation on this new detector in the dose range of 47.0–145.0 kGy have also been studied using bulk etch, UV–visible spectroscopic, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques. The activation energy for bulk etching calculated from bulk etch rates measurements at different temperatures, optical band gaps determined from the UV–visible spectra, and the values of onset temperature of decomposition (T₀) calculated from TGA curves were found to decrease with the increase in gamma dose. These results have been explained on the basis of scission of the detector due to gamma irradiation.