Interrelated temperature dependence of bulk etch rate and track length saturation time in CR-39 detector

• New empirical parameterization of CR-39 bulk etch rate.
• Bulk etch rates measurements using two different methods give consistent results.
• Temperature independence of track saturation length.
• Two empirical relation between bulk etch rate and temperature are suggested.
• Simple inverse relation between bulk etch rate and track saturation time.

Experimental measurements of the etching solution temperature dependence of bulk etch rate using two independent methods revealed a few interesting properties. It is found that while the track saturation length is independent of etching temperature, the etching time needed to reach saturation is strongly temperature-dependent. It is demonstrated that there is systematic simple inverse relation between track saturation time, and etching solution temperature. In addition, and although, the relation between the bulk etch rate and etching solution temperature can be reasonably described by a modified form of the Arrhenius equation, better fits can be obtained by another equation suggested in this work.