Damage effects of 1 MeV proton bombardment in PVDC polymeric film

The polymer “PVDC” (Polyvinylidene-chloride) is normally used as food packaging and can be combined with other plastics to improve barrier performance to oxygen preserving food quality. Irradiation of packaged food exposes the polymer to the ionizing radiation, and the damage depends on the type, the energy and the intensity of the radiation. In order to determine the chemical species produced during the irradiation process, PVDC films were bombarded with 1 MeV protons at constant current and fluences of 1011 to 1015 protons/cm2. The emission of chemical species was monitored with a Residual Gas Analyzer (RGA) during the bombardment. FTIR shows the chemical evidence of damage, and Micro-Raman-analysis was used to study the irradiated surface of PVDC.