Redistribution of iodine in polyethylene modified by ion irradiation

The radiation enhanced transport of iodine atoms, induced by irradiation with 80 keV Xe+ ions, was investigated on I-doped polyethylene. The spontaneous redistribution of the I atoms in the as-prepared and the post-irradiated samples was examined by Rutherford backscattering measurements of the I depth profiles 60, 200, and 515 days after sample preparation. No significant changes in the I content or its depth profiles were found in the first 2 measurements, whereas in the last measurement (515 days) the iodine content was mere 30-50% of the original value. (Z.J.). 2 figs., 9 refs