IMPROVEMENT OF CARBON FOILS

INCREASINGLY SERIOUS PROBLEMS ARE OCCURRING IN THE SUPPLY OF CARBON FOILS FOR USE IN HIGH ENERGY ACCELERATORS, WHERE THE FOILS ARE USED FOR INSTANCE TO CONVERT NEGATIVE HYDROGENIONS INTO PROTONS. WE ARE THE MAJOR U.S. SOURCE OF THESE FOILS. WE PRESENTLY SUPPLY THEM TO BROOKHAVEN, BERKELEY, LIVERMORE, ARGONNE, AND HAVE PREVIOUSLY SOLD THEM TO FERMILAB. NOW WE HAVE BEEN ASKED TO PROVIDE THEM FOR THE NEW STORAGE RING FACILITY AT LOS ALAMOS, WHERE THEY WILL BE CONSUMED IN LARGE QUANTITIES. THE PROBLEM IS THAT OUR PRESENT PRODUCTION METHODS ARE SLOW. MOREOVER, THE UNIFORMITY OF THE PRODUCT IS NOT ENTIRELY SATISFACTORY, SO THAT ONLY A FEW OF THE PRODUCT FOILS CAN BE SENT TO CUSTOMERS, THE OTHERS BEING DISCARDED. IN CONSEQUENCE, THE FOILS ARE EXPENSIVE. WE PROPOSE TO INVESTIGATE THE CAUSES OF THE NON-UNIFORMITY AND TO DEVELOP IMPROVED METHODS OF PRODUCTION, BOTH AS TO YIELD AND QUALITY. WE EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO REDUCE THE PRICE OF THE FOILS AND, EQUALLY IMPORTANTTO SATISFY THE GROWING NEED FOR THEM.