Thermo-stimulated luminescence analysis of powder of the gamma-irradiated tetrafluoroethylene/ethylene copolymer

The thermo-stimulated luminescence of Γ-irradiated commercial copolymers of tetrafluoroethylene with ethylene were explored. There are five intense maxima in the luminescence curves. Position, halfwidth and number of maxima remain constant at doses of irradiation from 10 kGy up to 30 kGy. The first peak at 112 K to 119 K has the greatest intensity and is found on the luminescence curves of all of the investigated copolymers except for Tefzel®. For Tefzel®, the maximum occurs at 141 K. The differences of the glow curves in the different copolymers may be the result of impurities capable of reacting with ions or radicals formed under irradiation and by differences in the copolymer’s topological structures.