Abstract
The isothermal decomposition of un-irradiated (pristine) and pre-gamma-irradiated palladium acetate was studied in the temperature range (498-508 K) and in air using the isothermal thermogravimetric technique. The data were analysed using various solid state reaction models. The results showed that the kinetics of isothermal decomposition of palladium acetate was governed by random nucleation reaction (Erofe'ev equation A(3)). The activation energies of the main decomposition process for un-irradiated and pre-gamma-irradiated samples were calculated. The change in texture and crystal structure of the investigated palladium acetate by gamma-irradiation was studied using electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques.