Fabrication of polyvinyl alcohol coated polystyrene shells

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Abstract
Glass shells have been used traditionally as the deuterium–tritium fuel container for direct-drive laser fusion experiments because of their convenience and availability, but lower-Z fuel containers have superior implosion characteristics and diagnostic possibilities. Unfortunately, polymers such as polystyrene (PS) that produce shells easily have very high permeabilities so require cryogenics to retain fuel, and impermeable polymers such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) are difficult to make into high-quality shells. We have developed improved methods of making PS shells with diameters from 0.2 to 0.7 mm and coating them with a 3-μm layer of PVA to obtain the advantages of both. Both the PS shells and the PVA coating are made in drop towers using gas-stripped nozzles. Details of the procedures and product quality are discussed.

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