Determination of Optimum Etching Conditions of Nuclear Track Detector Cellulose Nitrate CN-85 for Alpha Particles

The aim of this research to study the effect of etching conditions such as the concentration of the etchant solution, and temperature on the detecting properties of nuclear track detector (cellulose nitrate) CN-85, in order to determine the optimum etching conditions. An (NaOH) solution with (3, 4, 5, 6N) concentrations and temperatures range (40,50,60o C) has been used for the following etching times (0.5-4 hr) to develop tracks of alpha particles with energy 1.5MeV of emanated from 241Am source of (1Ci) activity. It is found that an increment in the concentration and the temperature of the solution leads to an increment in the diameter of the tracks, it was also noted that an increment in the temperature by 10Co leads to an increment in the average radii of tracks by (75 210 %) .Eventually it is found that for each specific temperature of etchant optimum condition of specified etching time, (which appears the highest number of tracks) and also specified the track diameter, these two condition will be changed when the concentration of etchant is also change at a fixed temperature.