Demonstration of radon removal from SF$_6$ using molecular sieves

Understand

The gas SF$_6$ has become of interest as a negative ion drift gas for use in directional dark matter searches.

• However, as for other targets in such searches, it is important that radon contamination can be removed as this provides a source of unwanted background events.
• In this work we demonstrate for the first time filtration of radon from SF$_6$ gas by using a molecular sieve.
• Four types of sieves from Sigma-Aldrich were investigated, namely 3{\AA}, 4{\AA}, 5{\AA} and 13X.