Radiolysis of oxalic and citric acids using gamma rays and accelerated electrons

Solid samples of hydrated and anhydrous oxalic acid were irradiated with doses of 1 to 200 Mrad of gamma radiation. The G(CO/sub 2/) values, 7.4 and 4.7, respectively, for H/sub 2/C/sub 2/O/sub 4/ and H/sub 2/C/sub 2/O/sub 4/ . 2H/sub 2/O were determined via gas chromatography after acid dissolution of the samples. Carbon dioxide and water were determined to be the major decomposition products of radiolysis. The G(CO/sub 2/) value for Li/sub 2/C/sub 2/O/sub 4/ is 0.16, for Na/sub 2/C/sub 2/O/sub 4/ it is 0.06, and for K/sub 2/C/sub 2/O/sub 4/.H/sub 2/O it is 0.82. In each case only a slight deviation from linearity is noted in the dose-dependent curves.

O. Gal

Papers

Radiation chemistry of oxalic acid and oxalates.