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    Radiation softening and hardening of PDMS in combined neutron and γ rays

    Year: 2023

    Journal: Polymer Degradation and Stability, Volume 208, 2023-02-01, page 110241

    Authors: Durďáková, Tereza-Markéta; Hrdlička, Zdeněk; Král, Martin; Hovorka, Štěpán; Vögele, Alexander; Eichler, Robert; Trtik, Pavel; Vopička, Ondřej

    Keywords: Hardening; Neutron and gamma radiation; PDMS; Radiation degradation; Softening; Spallation source

    We report on the irradiation of a modified silica-filled room temperature vulcanized (RTV) PDMS. The irradiation experiments were conducted in air with combined neutron (approx. 6·1012 n·cm−2·s−1 at energies 1 meV to 1 MeV with an approximated maximum of 3% tail towards higher energy neutrons from 1 MeV up to 100 MeV) and γ rays (739–28,900 Gy at energies 0.01 MeV to 50 MeV) in the NAA position in the Swiss Spallation Neutron Source SINQ. Softening of the gel prevailed for the shorter exposures, hardening for the longer exposures within the explored range of exposure time (1.5 to 47 min). The material changes were sensed using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), analysis of the swelling in good solvents (o-, m-, p- xylene), Raman and FTIR spectroscopy, and water contact angle measurement. While the irradiation of PDMS influenced the swelling in the xylenes, melting temperature and elastic modulus, it did not discernibly influence the Raman and FTIR spectra, sol content, and water contact angle. Irradiation can be used as a post treatment of PDMS items enabling the optimization of elastic modulus and swelling characteristics.
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