Re: Plastic and radiation damage

["TOM_DIXIE" <tom_dixie@email.msn.com>]

Gary,  I think the key here is how long the tank has been in service, are
there other actors in this such as chemicals which also increase the
degredation of the plastic.  How thick is the plastic and what type is it?
There is no doubt in my mind that continuous radiation exposure will cause
degredation of the plastic.  However, I know of no studies that quantify the
time that the tank will safely hold what you have in it.

One thing that enlightened me on plastic degradation was working with x-ray
machines and having to have to change out the filtration.  The next time you
go to a hospital x-ray room, look at the beam exit area of the tube, you
will typically see a small (used to be clear) plastic (usually plexiglass)
square used to provide the beam filtration.  These things get pretty badly
damaged as the machine is used.  Its a higher dose rate but intermittent
exposure.

Tom O'Dou
tom_dixie@msn.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Gary Schroeder <schroede@mail.sep.bnl.gov>
To: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
Date: Thursday, April 23, 1998 8:03 AM
Subject: Plastic and radiation damage


>Does anyone out there know if plastic is subject to any structural
>decomposition as a reults of being exposed to moderate exposure rate
>fields?  For instance, a plastic container being used to hold several
>gallons of liquid containing beta-gamma emitters at concentrations up to 1
>Ci/L (thats 37 GBq/L for our European friends).
>
>
>=======================
>Gary L. Schroeder
>Brookhaven National Laboratory
>Environmental Protection Office
>gs1@bnl.gov