DSC studies on gamma irradiated poly(vinylidene fluoride) applied to high gamma dose dosimetry

Poly(vinylidene fluoride) homopolymer (PVDF) was investigated for use on high gamma dose dosimetry. Samples were irradiated with gamma doses ranging from 100 kGy to 3000 kGy. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to construct an unambiguous relationship between the melting transition latent heat (L-M) and the absorbed dose (D). DSC thermograms were taken immediately, 1, 2 and 8 months after the irradiation process revealing that the L-M x D relationship presented no change for doses ranging from 100 to 2750 kGy. FTIR and UV-V is spectroscopy data revealed the radio-induction of C=0 and C=C bonds. These radio-induced bonds were responsible by the chain stiffening and chain oxidation, respectively. SEM microscopy demonstrates that the spherulitic large crystalline structures present in pristine PVDF are destroyed with doses as low as 100 kGy. The DRX analysis revealed that the main effect of high gamma doses in the crystalline structure of PVDF is to provoke a change from the pristine PVDF alpha-phase to the gamma-phase. Both the ability to detect gamma doses in a large dose range and the low fading features make PVDF homopolymers good candidates to be investigated as high gamma dose dosimeters.