Solid-State Track Recorder Materials for Use in Light-Water-Reactor Pressure Vessel Surveillance Exposures

Solid-state track recorders (SSTR) have been used extensively in reactor neutron dosimetry. Further applications of SSTR in the U.S. breeder reactor, light water reactor, and magnetic fusion energy reactor programs have been planned. Extension of high-accuracy SSTR techniques to high-fluence irradiations requires careful attention to many experimental details. One very important aspect of this work is the selection of materials that comprise the SSTR.

A variety of solid state track recorder materials has been examined for light-water-reactor pressure vessel surveillance applications. Emphasis has been placed on SSTR characteristics which are most relevant to high-fluence irradiations. The SSTR materials investigated include eleven different types of muscovite mica from worldwide geographical locations and different commercial suppliers, synthetic and natural quartz crystals, and quartz glass. Activatable impurities are appreciable only in the case of mica SSTR, and relative isotopic impurity concentrations are reported. Fissionable impurity concentrations in mica and quartz are also reported. The properties of mica and quartz SSTR subjected to high-fluence (3 × 10²¹ neutrons (n)/cm²), high-temperature [427°C (800°F)] irradiations have been investigated. Recommendations regarding suitable types of mica and quartz are made.