Scintillating glass fiber-optic neutron sensors

Conference · Fri Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:10162809

Abel, K H; Arthur, R J; Bliss, M ^[1]

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1. and others

Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) has fabricated cerium-activated lithium silicate scintillating fibers via a hot-downdraw process. These fibers, which, as produced, typically have a transmission length (e{sup {minus}1} length) of greater than 2 meters, are found to undergo aging when subjected to room air. The aging, which is complete in a few weeks, reduces the transmission length to the order of 0.5 meter. Because of the high alkali content of the glass (on the order of 20--30 mole % lithia), we have attributed this aging to aqueous corrosion oat the polymer cladding/glass interface. changes in transmission with chemical treatment of the surface support the corrosion model. Fiber transmission performance has been preserved by modifying the hot-downdraw to a double crucible to produce glass-on-glass waveguides.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 10162809
• Report Number(s): PNL-SA--23184; CONF-940411--38; ON: DE94014562
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360201
440103
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
CERIUM SILICATES
DRAWING
FABRICATION
GLASS SCINTILLATORS
LITHIUM SILICATES
NEUTRON DETECTION
NUCLEAR SPECTROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTATION
OPTICAL FIBERS
PREPARATION AND FABRICATION
SCINTILLATION COUNTERS
WAVEGUIDES