Studies About Gamma-Ray Irradiation of PVC Plates Used in Electric Cable Insulation

Abstract

In this paper, studies concerning the changes brought by gamma radiation on some PVC plates were made. The respective samples were exposed to gamma irradiation, at room temperature and different doses, such as (10, 20, 40, 80) kGy. The changes in the irradiated PVC plates’ properties were studied by UV-Vis, electrical measurements, and SEM analysis on non-irradiated and irradiated samples. The results show that gamma irradiation affects the properties of PVC plates. This degradation leads to the appearance of free radicals, the interruption of polymer chains, reticulation, and the decrease of molecular weight.