AC Conductivity of Gamma Irradiated LDPE/ZIF-8 Composite

Abstract

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are a class of materials that are increasingly used for the detection and separation of gases. This article presents the influence of gamma radiation on the dielectric properties of a LDPE/ZIF-8 composite that can be used for the production of gas sensors and massive gas absorbers. A low-density polyethylene (LDPE)–microsized zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) composite, obtained by melt mixing (95/5 weight ratio), was gamma-irradiated at room temperature to different absorbed doses up to 300 kGy. Infrared spectroscopy and optical microscopy confirmed the degradation of the ZIF-8 due to the gamma irradiation. The AC conductivity (admittance) of the samples was studied in the frequency range of 24 Hz − 120 kHz and a temperature range 200–350 K. The composite showed larger admittance components relative to the admittance components of pure LDPE; the conductance of the samples increased almost linearly with increasing irradiation dose. On the other hand, the change in dielectric permittivity of the LDPE and the composite due to irradiation was weak and showed nonlinear behavior with increasing radiation dose.