Abstract
Fast and moderated neutrons emitted from
252Cf as well as low doses of gamma rays from
60Co, produce damaging effects in cellulose nitrate which can be determined viscometrically by calculating the average molecular weight at different doses.
Samples were exposed to different doses of gamma rays (1 × 10
−4 to 1 Gy) and fission neutron fluences (10
5–10
11 n/cm
2) in free space and on a paraffin phantom. The effect of phantom thickness and phantom-to-detector distance on the detector readout have been investigated.
The results revealed that the predominant bulk effects of radiation on CN is accelerated degradation by random chain scission.
Empirical formulae have been given to calculate the absorbed doses of gamma rays and fast neutrons from the measured average molecular weight of the irradiated samples.