Abstract:
Diethyl succinate has been irradiated under vacuum with 60Co γ-radiation. An attempt was made to identify and measure the complete product spectrum. Twenty different products were found after a maximum total dose of 9 × 1023 eV l.–1. The most abundant were ethanol, ethyl propionate, ethane, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, acetaldehyde and carbon dioxide. With the possible exception of acetaldehyde, G-values for these products were independent of the dose in the range studied. Gas yields were also measured in the presence of small amounts of additives (FeCl3, H2O or CH2 : CH2). Possible mechanisms for product formation are discussed.
