Effect of certain production parameters and post-production treatments on the etching characteristics of CR-39 sheets

There is a permanent need in producing track recording detectors of well defined behaviour from CR-39 monomer. Therefore, more studies on the role of production parameters determining the stability of main etching characteristics (bulk etch rate, Vsub(B); etch rate ratio, Vsub(T)/Vsub(B); opaqueness after longer etching periods) are highly required. In our studies we have examined different commercial CR-39 sheets (Homalite, Pershore, MA-ND) to compare their registration sensitivity to selected alpha and proton energies. In addition, we have investigated the main etching parameters of CR-39 sheets manufactured under different casting conditions varying the concentration of initiator and certain additives. Finally, the effect of some post-production treatments, annealing and storage in vacuum, on the Vsub(B) and Vsub(T)/Vsub(B) values is studied. (author)