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Modification of Optical Bandgap and Formation of Carbonaceous Clusters Due to 1.75 MeV N5+ Ion Irradiation in PET Polymers and Search for Chemical Reaction Mechanisms
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This study examined how high-energy nitrogen ion irradiation affects the structural and optical properties of PET polymer films. Understanding radiation-induced changes to PET is relevant to plastic recycling and the long-term environmental fate of plastic materials.
The effects of 1.75 MeV N5+ ion beams of varying fluences, ranging from 1x1011 to 5x1014 ions/cm2 on structural, optical, and chemical properties of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) polymer, have been investigated by x-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–Visible spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The XRD patterns of PET samples show that the crystallinity increases with ion irradiation of fluences 4x1011 and 5x1012 ions/cm2. Optical bandgap energy decreases more at the ion fluences of 5x1014 ions/cm2. Absorption maxima shifted towards a higher wavelength value due to the formation of extended conjugation. Acetylenic (-C≡C-) group formation and free CO2 group are confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. The reaction mechanism of the degradation product formation chemistry is discussed.
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Researchers exposed polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to UV radiation under controlled humidity conditions and tracked changes in its chemical composition, finding progressive oxidation and chain scission that alter the polymer's surface properties. Understanding how PET degrades under UV exposure is important for predicting how PET microplastics form and what chemical changes make them more or less bioavailable.
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Gamma irradiation of virgin and recycled PET produced microplastic particles detectable down to 1 micrometer, with the dose and material type influencing both the extent of surface degradation and the quantity of particles released.
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Researchers subjected polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics to accelerated photoaging under simulated sunlight, characterizing changes in surface chemistry, crystallinity, and mechanical properties over time. Photoaging increased surface oxidation, reduced molecular weight, and enhanced the release of plastic additives, suggesting aged PET microplastics present greater chemical hazard than pristine particles.
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