Radiation Effects on Thermal Decomposition

The effects of irradiation on thermal decomposition of azides are treated only briefly in this section. For a discussion of decomposition produced by various types of irradiation and for a comparison of the residues produced by thermal decomposition and by irradiation, refer to Chapter 7 and also the review by Jach and Dienes [110], which deals specifically with lead and barium azides. 

Irradiation prior to thermal decomposition often effects a reduction or elimination of the induction period, a decrease in activation energy, and an increase in decomposition rate. Moreover, it is observed that the effect on the induction period, Tq, can be represented by 

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