New developments on electrochemical etching processes at the atomic energy organization of Iran

Some highlights of new developments made in our laboratory at the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran on chemical and electrochemical etching (ECE) of polymer track detectors like polycarbonate (PC) are presented. They include introduction of new ECE chamber systems and methods for production of ECE signs and symbols, and a new versatile ECE chamber (VECE) system for multi-purpose, multi-size, and/or multi-shape detector processing; determination of photoneutron doses in and around high-energy X-ray beams of a 20 MV medical accelerator; verification of the Smythe and Mason equations for ECE of tracks in polymers; ECE of alpha and recoil tracks in PC using PMW, PEW and PEMW etchants; introduction of a novel method using ethylene diamine for treatment of PC detectors with its applications, for example in precision removal of surface layers of PC (e.g. bulk removal rates of about 0.04, 0.15, 0.36, 0.66, and 1.33 mm min⁻¹ for 60%, 65%, 70%, 75% and 80% ethylene diamine solution (v/v) in water respectively, with no effects on its transparency), and in significant reduction of background track density of PC detectors, in alpha energy discrimination and alpha spectrometry; and development of an image processing system for track counting and measurements; etc. Some main results are reviewed and discussed.