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Title: Bismuth- and lithium-loaded plastic scintillators for gamma and neutron detection

Abstract

In this paper, transparent plastic scintillators based on polyvinyltoluene (PVT) have been fabricated with high loading of bismuth carboxylates for gamma spectroscopy, and with lithium carboxylates for neutron detection. When activated with a combination of standard fluors, 2,5-diphenyloxazole (PPO) and tetraphenylbutadiene (TPB), gamma light yields with 15 wt% bismuth tripivalate of 5000 Ph/MeV are measured. A PVT plastic formulation including 30 wt% lithium pivalate and 30 wt% PPO offers both pulse shape discrimination, and a neutron capture peak at ~400 keVee. Finally, in another configuration, a bismuth-loaded PVT plastic is coated with ZnS(6Li) paint, permitting simultaneous gamma and neutron detection via pulse shape discrimination with a figure-of-merit of 3.8, while offering gamma spectroscopy with energy resolution of R(662 keV)=15%.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [2]
  1. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
  2. Eljen Technology, Sweetwater, TX (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation
OSTI Identifier:
1438692
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1245661
Report Number(s):
LLNL-JRNL-663264
Journal ID: ISSN 0168-9002; TRN: US1900488
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC52-07NA27344
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 778; Journal ID: ISSN 0168-9002
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; plastic scintillator; gamma plastic; neutron plastic; neutron capture scintillator; phoswich; pulse-shape discrimination

Citation Formats

Cherepy, Nerine J., Sanner, Robert D., Beck, Patrick R., Swanberg, Erik L., Tillotson, Thomas M., Payne, Stephen A., and Hurlbut, Charles R. Bismuth- and lithium-loaded plastic scintillators for gamma and neutron detection. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1016/j.nima.2015.01.008.
Cherepy, Nerine J., Sanner, Robert D., Beck, Patrick R., Swanberg, Erik L., Tillotson, Thomas M., Payne, Stephen A., & Hurlbut, Charles R. Bismuth- and lithium-loaded plastic scintillators for gamma and neutron detection. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2015.01.008
Cherepy, Nerine J., Sanner, Robert D., Beck, Patrick R., Swanberg, Erik L., Tillotson, Thomas M., Payne, Stephen A., and Hurlbut, Charles R. 2015. "Bismuth- and lithium-loaded plastic scintillators for gamma and neutron detection". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2015.01.008. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1438692.
@article{osti_1438692,
title = {Bismuth- and lithium-loaded plastic scintillators for gamma and neutron detection},
author = {Cherepy, Nerine J. and Sanner, Robert D. and Beck, Patrick R. and Swanberg, Erik L. and Tillotson, Thomas M. and Payne, Stephen A. and Hurlbut, Charles R.},
abstractNote = {In this paper, transparent plastic scintillators based on polyvinyltoluene (PVT) have been fabricated with high loading of bismuth carboxylates for gamma spectroscopy, and with lithium carboxylates for neutron detection. When activated with a combination of standard fluors, 2,5-diphenyloxazole (PPO) and tetraphenylbutadiene (TPB), gamma light yields with 15 wt% bismuth tripivalate of 5000 Ph/MeV are measured. A PVT plastic formulation including 30 wt% lithium pivalate and 30 wt% PPO offers both pulse shape discrimination, and a neutron capture peak at ~400 keVee. Finally, in another configuration, a bismuth-loaded PVT plastic is coated with ZnS(6Li) paint, permitting simultaneous gamma and neutron detection via pulse shape discrimination with a figure-of-merit of 3.8, while offering gamma spectroscopy with energy resolution of R(662 keV)=15%.},
doi = {10.1016/j.nima.2015.01.008},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1438692}, journal = {Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment},
issn = {0168-9002},
number = ,
volume = 778,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jan 09 00:00:00 EST 2015},
month = {Fri Jan 09 00:00:00 EST 2015}
}

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Cited by: 70 works
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Works referencing / citing this record:

High-Z Sensitized Plastic Scintillators: A Review
journal, May 2018


Evaluation of polyvinyl toluene scintillators for fast neutron imaging
journal, August 2018


The crystal structure of bis{3,5-difluoro-2-[4-(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)pyridin-2-yl]phenyl}(picolinato)iridium(III) and its 4- tert -butylpyridin-2-yl analogue
journal, September 2018


Optimization of the Charge Comparison Method for Multiradiation Field Using Various Measurement Systems
journal, April 2020


Pseudo-gamma Spectrometry in Plastic Scintillators
book, May 2017