The paper describes the influence of thermal neutron irradiation on the smectic liquid crystal (SLC) properties of fatty acids: lauric, archydic, elaidic and arachidonic. These fatty acids are precursors or constituents of biological membranes. Microstructural aspects and electric measurements of the dependence of current intensity through the sample on the applied external voltage I = I(U ) are presented. An outline of a thermodynamic model in good agreement with the experiments is also given.