Evaluation of a Fluorochlorozirconate Glass-Ceramic Storage Phosphor Plate for Gamma-Ray Computed Radiography

Journal Article · Thu May 21 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · Journal of the American Ceramic Society

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/jace.13664· OSTI ID:1356637

Leonard, Russell L. ^[1]; Gray, Sharon K. ^[1]; Alvarez, Carlos J. ^[2]; Moses, Alex K. ^[3]; Arrowood, Lloyd F. ^[3]; Lubinsky, Anthony R. ^[4]; Petford-Long, Amanda K. ^[5]; Johnson, Jacqueline A. ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Tennessee Space Inst. (UTSI), Tullahoma, TN (United States). Dept. of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering
2. Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States). Materials Science and Engineering Dept.
3. Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC, Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
4. Stony Brook Univ., NY (United States). Dept. of Radiology
5. Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States). Materials Science and Engineering Dept.; Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Materials Science Division

In this paper, a fluorochlorozirconate (FCZ) glass-ceramic containing orthorhombic barium chloride crystals doped with divalent europium was evaluated for use as a storage phosphor in gamma-ray imaging. X-ray diffraction and phosphorimetry of the glass-ceramic sample showed the presence of a significant amount of orthorhombic barium chloride crystals in the glass matrix. Transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to identify crystal size, structure, and morphology. The size of the orthorhombic barium chloride crystals in the FCZ glass matrix was very large, ~0.5–0.7 μm, which can limit image resolution. The FCZ glass-ceramic sample was exposed to 1 MeV gamma rays to determine its photostimulated emission characteristics at high energies, which were found to be suitable for imaging applications. Test images were made at 2 MeV energies using gap and step wedge phantoms. Gaps as small as 101.6 μm in a 440 stainless steel phantom were imaged using the sample imaging plate. Analysis of an image created using a depleted uranium step wedge phantom showed that emission is proportional to incident energy at the sample and the estimated absorbed dose. Finally, the results showed that the sample imaging plate has potential for gamma-ray-computed radiography and dosimetry applications.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Univ. of Tennessee Space Inst. (UTSI), Tullahoma, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: National Science Foundation (NSF) (United States); USDOE Office of Science (SC)
• Contributing Organization: Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC, Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States); Stony Brook Univ., NY (United States)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC02-06CH11357
• OSTI ID: 1356637
• Journal Information: Journal of the American Ceramic Society, Journal Name: Journal of the American Ceramic Society Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 98; ISSN 0002-7820
• Publisher: American Ceramic Society
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY