FTIR and optical properties for irradiated PVA–GdCl3 and its possible use in dosimetry

There are various chemical and physical changes caused when polymers are exposed to a source of radiation. In the present work, four films of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) doped with 2, 4, 6 and 8 wt% of gadolinium chloride (GdCl₃) have been irradiated by low-dose fast neutrons using Am-241/Be-9. The structural properties of the synthesized films have been investigated pre- and post-irradiation on the basis of Fourier transform infrared technique. The optical properties of the PVA–GdCl₃ films have been investigated for doses up to 1.2 KGy. The energy gap of the synthesized films showed a neutron dose dependence and was decreased by 0.81 eV after exposing to 1.2 kGy. At a wavelength of 1000 nm, the refractive index of the PVA doped with 8 wt% GdCl₃ has been increased by nearly 16%. The results suggested the possible use of PVA--GdCl₃ as a dosimeter for the neutron beams.