Hydration effect on ion exchange resin irradiated by swift heavy ions and gamma rays

Abstract Gamma radiolysis of ion exchange resins (IER) is widely studied since the sixties, as a function of different parameters (resin type, dose, atmosphere, water content …). However, to our knowledge, there are very few data concerning hydrogen emission from anionic and cationic resins irradiated at high Linear Energy Transfers (LET). In the present work, we focus on the influence of hydration on hydrogen emission, in anionic and cationic resins irradiated under inert atmosphere using Swift Heavy Ions (SHI) and gamma irradiations. The radiation chemical yield of molecular hydrogen is nonlinear with water content for both resins. The molecular hydrogen production depends first on the water form in IER (free or linked) and second on the solubility of degradation products. Three steps have been observed: at lower water content where G(H 2 ) is stable, at 50%, G(H 2 ) increases due to reactions between water radiolytic species and the resin functional groups and at high water content, G(H 2 ) decreases probably due to its accumulation in water and its consumption by hydroxyl radicals in the supernatant.