A technique for the rapid enlargement of fission fragment tracks in lexan polycarbonate

A method has been found to enlarge etchable in lexan polycarbonate to diameters exceeding 100 μm enabling them to be viewed by simple projection on a screen. This is very useful in situations where large areas of the plastic have to be scanned rapidly. Basically the technique involves localizing a certain swelling agent in the pre-etched tracks and then re-etching the plastic under specified conditions. A possible mechanism for the rapid etching of the sites of treated tracks is discussed. (orig.)