Molten Ba(OH)2.8H2O as an efficient and rapid etchant for detecting α-particles using a diallyl maleate-allyl diglycol carbonate detector

Abstract

In the present study, for the first time, nuclear tracks of α-particles were created on diallyl maleate-allyl diglycol carbonate (DAM-ADC) using molten hydrated barium hydroxide (MBH). We used 17 DAM-ADC plates with dimensions of 1.0 cm × 1.0 cm × 0.1 cm. The bulk etching rate was calculated at various etching temperatures based on changes in the thickness of the DAM-ADC plates. DAM-ADC was irradiated with α-particles to etch at various temperatures for different durations in order to determine the characteristic etching parameters, such as the bulk and track etching rates, etching efficiency of the detector, and critical angle of etching. Photographs of the etched DAM-ADC samples were obtained with a calibrated optical microscope and analyzed with ImageJ software to calculate the track diameters of α-particles. The results demonstrated that MBH is a more efficient and rapid etchant for registering and detecting charged particles with various energies compared with conventional etching solutions (NaOH, KOH, etc.). DAM-ADC with MBH can be used in environmental applications for detecting radon and neutrons.