Scratch Reduction in Polystyrene Beads and Capsules via Alternative Flask Material Testing

AbstractPolystyrene (PS) capsules produced by General Atomics are useful to inertial confinement fusion work. Contact scratches caused by collisions between container asperities and PS capsules and beads are a prominent defect arising during the fabrication process, and reducing them would improve surface quality. This study analyzed various containers for the curing and washing stages of PS bead and capsule production. For the curing stage, plastic bottles were found to have lower scratch frequency and severity than glass flasks, indicating that they may be a better alternative. For the washing stage, plastic or Gel-Pak washing containers demonstrated no reduction in scratch frequency when compared to glass washing containers.Keywords: Microencapsulationtargetspolystyrenefusion AcknowledgmentsThis work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by General Atomics under Contract 89233119CNA000063. This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.Disclosure StatementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.Supplementary MaterialSupplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2023.2190292.