CR 6-2 polycarbonate samples were irradiated using different fluences (10(11)-10(14) ions/cm(2)) of 1 MeV protons. The structural modifications in the proton-irradiated CR 6-2 samples have been studied as a function of fluence using different characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction, intrinsic viscosity of the liquid samples, as a measure of the mean molecular mass, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential thermal analysis, refractive index, color difference, and mechanical properties. The results indicate that the irradiation of CR 6-2 detector at the fluence range 1 x 10(12)-5 x 10(14) ions/cm(2) causes intermolecular crosslinking and allows the formation of covalent bonds between different chains, leading to a more compact structure of CR 6-2 polymer, which resulted in an improvement in its thermal, optical, and mechanical properties. Also, this crosslinking reduces the ordering structure and increases the amorphous regions that enhance the polymer resilience. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 112: 2724-2731, 2009