Mechanistic Study on the Radiolysis of Dilute PVA Aqueous Solutions

The mechanisms behind the radiolytic degradation of PVA in dilute aqueous solutions were elucidated. The formation of hydrogen as the main gaseous product, as well as the analysis of degradation intermediates by NMR, FTIR, UV–vis, and viscosity determination demonstrated that the mechanism of the radiolytic degradation of PVA was hydrogen abstraction, followed by chain scission.