Influence of humidity on activated carbon fabrics scheduled for use in high sensitivity radon detectors

The dependence of radon adsorption on the content of adsorbed water of activated carbon fabrics of ACC-5092-10 and ACC-5092-20 was studied experimentally. Specimens with different content of adsorbed water (from zero to saturation level) were coupled with alpha-track detector and exposed to reference 222Rn concentration. Both materials demonstrated different properties: Radon adsorption in ACC-5092-10 smoothly and monotonically decreases with the increase of adsorbed water and at saturation level it is lower by a factor of 2.5 as compared to the fully dehydrated material. In ACC-5092-20 clear break point was observed at water content of about 20% where radon adsorption sharply drops by a factor of 15. ACC-5092-10 was identified as a material that keeps its high radon adsorption ability even when saturated with water. Coupled with alpha-track detector it may be used for sensitive long-term measurements 222Rn measurements even at high levels of humidity. •The dependence of radon adsorption on the adsorbed water of two kinds of activated carbon fabrics was studied.•Both materials demonstrated different properties.•Radon adsorption in ACC-5092-10 smoothly decreases with the increase of adsorbed water up to by a factor of 2.5 at saturation.•In ACC-5092-20 at water content of about 20% radon adsorption drops by a factor of 15 and does not change any more.•ACC-5092-10 keeps its high radon adsorption ability even when saturated with water.