Thermal properties and radical monitoring after gamma, X-ray, and electron beam irradiation in polyamides.

Ionizing radiation induced transformations in materials were monitored through tracking of the generation and degradation processes of radical species. Consequently, the types and quantities of radicals were determined by electron spin resonance (ESR). Subsequently, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was utilized to assess the impact of irradiation on the material crystallinity. The effects of gamma rays, X-rays, and electron beams were investigated on different polyamides, which exhibit an ESR signal up to 60 days. DSC results showed no significant effect of irradiation on the melting peak temperature of the materials, indicating that the amount of radicals generated was not large enough to induce a significant alteration of the material's macrostructure.