Durolon® polymer as a nuclear track detector: Characterization by chemical etching

This paper presents the properties of alpha particle tracks in a polymer, known as Durolon®. The study involves measurements of the time-dependent evolution of etch pit diameters and areal densities for low-energy alpha particles under various etching conditions, including different temperatures and solutions. A time-dependent model was successfully employed to describe the etch pit growth rates. Additionally, optical absorption and Raman spectroscopy techniques were applied to the samples under investigation, complementing the traditional results obtained through optical microscopy. The suitability of Durolon® polymer as a nuclear track detector is discussed based on the results obtained from the aforementioned complementary techniques. In summary, this research represents a critical step toward establishing Durolon® polymer as a viable nuclear track detector. •Durolon Polymer: A robust solid-state nuclear track detector for radiation monitoring.•Characterization of durolon polymer through various chemical etching techniques•Assessing alpha particle-induced damage to durolon polymer structure.•UV–vis spectroscopy investigation using an understudied durolon polymer.•Raman spectroscopy insights into durolon polymer’s molecular structure.