Electrophysical properties of amorphous polymer films exposed to radiation

The influence of radiation on the dielectric dispersion and the conductivity of the most wide-spread linear amorphous polymers in industry is studied, i.e., polyvinyl chloride, poly(methyl methacrylate), and polystyrene. The initial samples were exposed to radiation at T = 25°C for 45 days; as the source of radiation, 226Ra was used. The nuclei of 226Ra emit alpha rays with an energy of 4.777 MeV and gamma quanta with an energy of 0.188 MeV. Our study confirms that the changes in the real parts of the complex dielectric permittivity and electrical conductivity depend on the type of polymer and the dose of irradiation. The most significant effect of radiation is observed in the case of polystyrene.