DC CONDUCTIVITY OF CELLULOSE NITRATE PARTICLE TRACK DETECTOR

Temperature dependence of d.c. conductivity of cellulose nitrate (CN), which is a sensitive nuclear particle track detector, has been studie d. Within the temperature range from -100 to +100 degrees C, CN is cha racterized by three activation energies of 0.04, 0.78 and 1.24 eV, res pectively, from low to high temperatures. The transition of activation energy from 0.04 to 0.78 eV occurs at (-10 +/- 1)degrees C while from 0.78 to 1.24 eV occurs at (60 +/- 1)degrees C. This higher transition temperature corresponds approximately with the glass transition tempe rature of CN. It is also in the range of optimum etching temperatures generally used for CN.