ELEMENTAL LOSS DURING ELECTRON-BEAM IRRADIATION

The loss of chlorine from polyvinyl chloride films subject to electron beam irradiation has been studied in the scanning electron microscope under conditions identical to those used in elemental energy dispersive X -ray analysis. The data were obtained by measuring residual chlorine in the PVC film as a function of dose. Of the number of mechanisms proposed for loss of mass from these films, it was found that the experimental curves obtained most closely followed a model of first order radiation limited reaction. It was also shown that the precentage and chloride initially contained within the film could be calculated to good precision by analysis of the mass loss curves. © 1979 North-Holland Publishing Company.