Impact of the Abrasive Solution Heating Process With Different Techniques on the Etching Parameters for the SSNTD (CN-85)

Abstract The presented work aims to compare and analyze the impact of the abrasive solution heating process using three different techniques on the etching parameters for the solid-state nuclear track detector (SSNTD) (CN-85). Water bath technique (WB) is using water as a conduction medium of heat transfer to heat the etching solution. The thermal oven technique (TO) is using air as a convection heat transfer medium to heat the etching solution. Finally, the micro-wave technique (MW) as electromagnetic radiation no need for a medium to heat the etching solution. That comparison will be achieved at different irradiation times to an Americium-241 source (241Am) of 5.486 MeV energy and 10 μCi activity as an alpha particle's emitter. Two irradiation times 10 s and 20 s are applied. Small pieces of CN-85 detectors (1 × 1) cm2 were used. CN-85 detector parameters of the etching process, with the three applying techniques (WB, TO, and MW), are estimated and compared. The obtained results from the three techniques are compared. The etching process time is developed to nearly 5 min for MW with heating by radiation mechanism compared to 25–35 min for etching techniques (WB and TO) with heating by conduction and convection mechanisms, respectively. The efficiency of MW technique with range of from 70% to 75% are five times greater than that for WB and TO techniques.