Abstract
There is growing demand for shortend etching time of CR-39 plastics for practical use in individual neutron dosimetry. Generally, etching at high temperature makes this possible, though it has a tendency to roughen the detector surface. In this study the etch-pit diameter and surface were examined using CR-39 plates irradiated with alpha-particles and etched with aqueous solutions of 15 or 30wt% KOH or NaOH at 60-90°C for 0.4-20hr. It has been observed that etching time can be reduced to less than one tenth as a result of a rise from 60°C to 90°C without enhancement in surface roughness. Taking 30wt% KOH, 90°C as the optimum etching conditions, the diameter changes at the rate of 9.8%/°C in temperature, 7.6%/wt% in concentration and -1.0%/day in the time after preparation of etchant.
