Permeation through latent nuclear tracks in polymer foils

Abstract

The stable defects created in most dielectrica by fast heavy ions, called “latent nuclear tracks”, are zones of reduced density. Using the small-angle neutron-scattering technique it is shown that water molecules which permeate a polymer foil are preferentially embedded in these zones. In the track region the diffusion- and the sorption coefficients for various atoms and molecules are larger than in unirradiated material. In the damaged region of tracks produced by uranium ions in Polyethyleneterephtalate (PETP) the permeability for neon, oxygen, argon, carbondioxide, and water is enhanced by factors between 60 and 290.

A method for the preferential etching of latent nuclear tracks in PETP using methanol as a solvent is suggested.