Study of the neutron radiography characteristics for the solid state nuclear track detector Makrofol-DE

In this work, the track-etch method was employed for Neutron Radiography purposes. A combination of the Solid State Nuclear Track Detector Makrofol-DE with a natural boron converter screen has been used to register the image. The radiography characteristics such as, track size, track production rate, characteristic curves and spatial resolution, have been studied. The detectors were irradiated up to neutron exposures about 5 x 10(10) n/cm(2), in a radiography facility installed at the IEA-R1 Nuclear Research Reactor, and etched in a KOH aqueous solution at a constant temperature of 70 C. The obtained results were compared with those reported by other authors, and discussed according to the theory of the image formation in solid state nuclear track detectors. The experimental conditions to obtain the best image contrast, and the corresponding value of the spatial resolution, were also determined. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.