Radiation, high-energy, types

X-rays, or gamma rays generated by nuclear decay. Ionizing radiation also includes several types of subatomic particles, such as beta radiation (high-energy electrons) and alpha radiation (helium ions) and others. Medical X-rays are an example of a common beneficial exposure to ionizing radiation. Nuclear radiation is used to generate electricity and cure disease, but is also an important element in military weapons. Uses of nuclear radiation pose serious issues of human exposure and environmental contamination. 

Initiation of radical reactions with uv radiation is widely used in industrial processes (85). In contrast to high energy radiation processes where the energy of the radiation alone is sufficient to initiate reactions, initiation by uv irradiation usually requires the presence of a photoinitiator, ie, a chemical compound or compounds that generate initiating radicals when subjected to uv radiation. There are two types of photoinitiator systems those that produce initiator radicals by intermolecular hydrogen abstraction and those that produce initiator radicals by photocleavage (86—91). 

Another use is of minor proportions of polyfunctional aHyl esters, eg, diaHyl maleate, ttiaHyl cyanurate, and ttiaHyl isocyanurate, for cross-linking or curing preformed vinyl-type polymers such as polyethylene and vinyl chlotide copolymers. These reactions ate examples of graft copolymerization in which specific added peroxides or high energy radiation achieve optimum cross-linking (see Copolymers). 

Such structural changes are a consequence of chemical reactions of which the most common are oxidation, ozone attack, dehydrochlorination and ultraviolet attack. (Reactions due to high-energy radiation or to high temperature are not considered here as causing natural aging.) Over the years many materials have been introduced as antioxidants, antiozonants, dehydrochlorination stabilisers and ultraviolet absorbers—originally on an empirical basis but today more and more as the result of fundamental studies. Each of these additive types will be eonsidered in turn. 

Nuclear activation analysis (NAA) is a method for qualitatively and quantitatively detg elemental compn by means of nuclear transmutations. The method involves the irradiation or bombardment of samples with nuclear particles or high-energy electromagnetic radiation for the specific purpose of creating radioactive isotopes from the stable or naturally-occurring elements present. From the numbers, types and quantities of radioactive elements or radionuclides, it is possible to deduce information about the elemental compn of the original sample... 

Some polymers like PE and NR get cross-linked on exposure to radiation while others like those based on vinylidene polymers, e.g., polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polyisobutylene, degrade. Certain other types of polymer stmctures (high aromatic content or thermoset) resist degradation by high-energy radiation. Coating polymers usually contain acrylic, methacryUc, or fumaric vinyl unsaturation along or attached to the backbone. 

In the second type of analysis, high-energy bombardment of soils with neutrons, on the other hand, leads to what is called neutron activation. Reemission of radiation from neutron-activated soil allows for the identification of the elements present. This type of analysis typically requires a source of high-energy neutrons and so requires special equipment [8],... 

Gamma emission is the release of high-energy, short-wavelength photons, which are similar to x-rays. The representation of this radiation is y. Gamma emission commonly accompanies most other types of radioactive decay, but we normally do not show it in the balanced nuclear equation since it has neither appreciable mass nor charge. 

Radiolysis v. Photolysis. The fundamental differences between the early interaction with materials of high energy ionising radiation and that of ultraviolet light have been pointed out above. Nevertheless, they can often lead to the production of the same radicals. Thus advances in one field can crossfertilise advances in the other. There are, however, few examples of the same polymer being studied under both types of radiation (63). 

Gamma emission, in which high-energy electromagnetic radiation is emitted from the nucleus. This commonly accompanies the other types of radioactive decay. It is due to the conversion of a small amount of matter into energy. 

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