The products of radiolysis and hydrolysis of polyacrylonitrile

The products of radiolysis and hydrolysis of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) in strongly alkaline conditions were studied using several methods: HRMS, FT-IR and LCMS analysis and HPLC combinations with UV/VIS and refractometry. The conditions simulate the environment formed by the cementitious materials utilized as the engineering barrier in radioactive waste disposal. Degradation products from materials such as PAN, which are part of the waste, can significantly affect the migration of the radionuclides present. The data obtained from infrared spectroscopy show the common trends: in the region of 3400-3200 cm^-1 bands are visible, which correspond to the valence N-H vibrations of the amine or amide functional group. Furthermore, bands of valence symmetric and antisymmetric CH₂ and CH₃ groups are visible in the region 2950-2850 cm^-1. The band around 2240 cm^-1 corresponds to the stretching vibrations of the nitrile group ν(C≡N). The degradation proceeds via intermediates (-C=N) and amide (-CONH₂) and leads to the formation of a carboxyl group (-COOH). Characteristic IR bands document the presence of intermediates in the reaction mixture. The presence of PAN fragments after hydrolysis was also confirmed by MS spectra