ISSN:
1089-7623
Source:
AIP Digital Archive
Topics:
Physics
,
Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology
Notes:
Proportional counters are relatively sensitive to contamination through outgassing and the range of electrical insulators suitable for use in their manufacture is quite limited. Although small amounts of plastics such as polychlorotrifluoroethylene have been used as feedthroughs, ceramics are most commonly used when sealed counters with long lives are required. Ceramics have poor and widely scattered mechanical properties and the use of a more robust material is often highly desirable. Of particular interest is the use of polymers and this work examines polycarbonate in particular. To investigate its suitability in terms of outgassing a simple cylindrical, single anode proportional counter containing a large sample of polycarbonate was baked at ∼100 °C and filled with a CO2/Ar/Xe mixture (5:47.5:47.5 by pressure, respectively). Subsequent measurements of the counter indicated an increase in gain, which, after a second similar filling, was identified to be associated with a preferential loss of CO2 to the polycarbonate. The consequences of this result and the circumstances under which polycarbonate could be used on a large scale in the construction of proportional counters are discussed.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1142640
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