Speaker
Description
Resistive Plate Chambers (RPCs) are gas-based particle detectors widely used in High Energy Physics experiments such as CMS and ATLAS, as well as in several other particle physics experiments since the 1980s. Their main advantages are the relatively low cost of covering large areas, compared with non-gas-based detectors, and the very good timing resolution compared with other gas-based detectors. The detector consists of two parallel plates (electrodes), whose external surfaces are coated with a graphite layer connected to a potential difference, producing an electric field of the order of 5 kV/mm. Both the electrodes and the graphite coating must have high and well-controlled resistivity; for the first, glass or bakelite is usually used. The gap between the parallel plates is filled with a gas with high ionization potential, which triggers an electron avalanche when a charged particle passes through the detector. In this work, we explore different techniques and materials to produce components for this type of detector and overcome the limitations of conventional materials, such as Bakelite, which exhibits poor industrial reproducibility and modest mechanical properties such as a lack of rigidity over large areas, applying additive manufacturing techniques to the creation of new 3D-printed frames. In addition to the development of graphite-infused ABS mixtures, as well as graphite powder mixed with commercial acrylic ink for the resistive layer by a centrifugal coating process, we aim to explore alternatives to the manufacturing processes of RPCs and achieve typical operating ranges (from 10⁹ to 10¹² Ω·cm) with greater design flexibility. These painting and manufacturing techniques for the electrodes can open new configuration possibilities due to their controlled resistivity and the ease of producing layers with controlled thickness.