Mass spectrometric analyses of high performance polymers to assess radiopurity as ultra low background materials for rare event physics detectors

TL;DR

This study measures the radiopurity of various high-performance polymers using ICP-MS to identify suitable ultra low background materials for rare event physics detectors, reporting very low levels of Th-232 and U-238.

Contribution

It provides new, detailed radiopurity data for several high-performance polymers, including 3D printing filament, using a novel dry ashing ICP-MS method.

Findings

Most polymers have Th-232 and U-238 levels below 1 mBq/kg.

PEI 3D printing filament shows very low radioactivity levels.

Data supports the use of these polymers as low-background detector materials.

Abstract

The mass concentrations of Th-232 and U-238 in several strong, unfilled, high performance polymers are reported as measures of their radiopurity. Highly radiopure polymers are required as dielectric materials in the construction of rare event physics detectors, in order to minimize background signals arising from the detector materials themselves. New data are reported for carefully sourced samples of polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyetherketoneketone (PEKK), a polyamide imide (PAI, branded as Torlon) and polybenzimidazole (PBI). Data for solid polyetherimide (PEI) are also discussed and new data for PEI in the form of a commercial 3D printing filament stock are reported. Strong high performance polymers PEKK, PBI, PAI and PEI were found with levels for Th-232 and U-238 that are below one milliBq/kg, including the PEI 3D printing filament. Specifically, for Th-232 and U-238 respectively, in microBq/kg, we found values of 149 and 184 for Arkema Kepstan PEKK 6002 flake; 69 and 2250 for Solvay Ketaspire PEEK flake; 346 and 291 for PBI Performance Products low metals grade 100 mesh PBI powder; 66 and 105 for Drake Plastics PAI Torlon T-4200 pellets; 401 and 285 for Drake Plastics cured PAI rod; 32 and 41 for Ensinger PEI Ultem 1000 solid; and 15 and 85 microBq/kg, for ThermaX PEI Ultem 1010 filament material. These results were all obtained using a novel dry ashing method in crucibles constructed of ultra low background (ULB) electroformed copper. Samples were spiked with T-229h and U-233 as internal standards prior to ashing and determinations were made by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Radiopurity is displayed graphically relative to numerical measures of mechanical strength for these and several other polymers.