Polysiloxane Scintillators for Efficient Neutron and Gamma-Ray Pulse Shape Discrimination

Lim, Allison; Arrue, Jonathan; Rose, Paul B.; Sellinger, Alan; Erickson, Anna S.

doi:10.1021/acsapm.0c00641

Polysiloxane Scintillators for Efficient Neutron and Gamma-Ray Pulse Shape Discrimination

Journal Article · Thu Jun 25 00:00:00 EDT 2020 · ACS Applied Polymer Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/acsapm.0c00641· OSTI ID:1644046

^[1]; Arrue, Jonathan ^[2]; ^[2]; ^[3]; Erickson, Anna S. ^[2]

Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States); Colorado School of Mines
Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States)
Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)

Plastic scintillators based on thermoplastics, such as polystyrene and poly(vinyl toluene) (PVT), are capable of neutron and γ radiation detection via pulse shape discrimination (PSD) when overdoped with select fluorescent molecules. This class of plastic scintillator has been extensively studied but is limited to applications suitable for thermoplastics. For applications requiring flexibility, scintillators composed of elastomers, such as polysiloxanes, offer an alternative to PVT scintillators. Polysiloxane scintillators are inherently flexible and have a short processing time on the order of 3 h in air and equivalent or better detection capability at reduced doping concentration (<5 wt %). This work presents polysiloxane-based scintillators, containing only 1–5 wt % of 2,5 diphenyl-oxazole (PPO) or 9,9-dimethyl-2-phenyl-9H-fluorene (PhF) as primary dopants and 9,9-dimethyl-2,7-distyryl-9H-fluorene (SFS) as a wavelength shifter. A 5 wt % PPO polysiloxane sample had improved neutron and gamma ray PSD and comparable light yield than EJ-299-33 tested under the same conditions, i.e., figure of merit (FoM) of 1.33 ± 0.03 at 450 keV_ee and light yield of 94% relative to EJ-299-33. The 5 wt % PhF-polysiloxane sample had a higher light yield, 144% of EJ-299-33 but lower FoM under the same conditions (FoM of 1.09 ± 0.03). Furthermore, this work highlights the potential of polysiloxanes as a matrix for PSD capable plastic scintillators.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); National Science Foundation

Grant/Contract Number:: NA0003921

OSTI ID:: 1644046

Journal Information:: ACS Applied Polymer Materials, Journal Name: ACS Applied Polymer Materials Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 2; ISSN 2637-6105

Publisher:: ACS PublicationsCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (21)

Plastic scintillators with efficient light output and pulse shape discrimination produced via photoinitiated polymerization Lim, Allison; Mahl, Adam; Latta, Joseph Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Vol. 136, Issue 15 https://doi.org/10.1002/app.47381	journal	December 2018
Highly Soluble p -Terphenyl and Fluorene Derivatives as Efficient Dopants in Plastic Scintillators for Sensitive Nuclear Material Detection Yemam, Henok A.; Mahl, Adam; Tinkham, Jonathan S. Chemistry - A European Journal, Vol. 23, Issue 37 https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.201700877	journal	June 2017
Liquid scintillation solutions for pulse-shape discrimination Berlman, I. B.; Steingraber, O. J. Nuclear Instruments and Methods, Vol. 108, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1016/0029-554X(73)90542-9	journal	May 1973
Theoretical study on the one- and two-photon absorption properties of a series of octupolar oligofluorenes and dipolar analogs Zhou, Xin; Ren, Ai-Min; Feng, Ji-Kang Chemical Physics Letters, Vol. 385, Issue 1-2 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cplett.2003.12.084	journal	February 2004
Doped polysiloxane scintillators for thermal neutrons detection Quaranta, A.; Carturan, S.; Marchi, T. Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, Vol. 357, Issue 8-9 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnoncrysol.2010.10.043	journal	April 2011
Plastic scintillators with efficient neutron/gamma pulse shape discrimination Zaitseva, Natalia; Rupert, Benjamin L.; PaweŁczak, Iwona Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 668, p. 88-93 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2011.11.071	journal	March 2012
Neutron/gamma pulse shape discrimination in plastic scintillators: Preparation and characterization of various compositions Blanc, Pauline; Hamel, Matthieu; Dehé-Pittance, Chrystèle Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 750 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2014.02.053	journal	June 2014
Polystyrene-based scintillator with pulse-shape discrimination capability Zhmurin, P. N.; Lebedev, V. N.; Titskaya, V. D. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 761 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2014.05.084	journal	October 2014
Pulse shape discrimination in non-aromatic plastics Paul Martinez, H.; Pawelczak, Iwona; Glenn, Andrew M. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 771 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2014.10.023	journal	January 2015
Pulse shape discrimination between (fast or thermal) neutrons and gamma rays with plastic scintillators: State of the art Bertrand, Guillaume H. V.; Hamel, Matthieu; Normand, Stéphane Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 776 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2014.12.024	journal	March 2015
Pulse shape discrimination properties of plastic scintillators incorporating a rationally designed highly soluble and polymerizable derivative of 9,10-diphenylanthracene Hajagos, Tibor Jacob; Kishpaugh, David; Pei, Qibing Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 825 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2016.04.029	journal	July 2016
Methacrylate based cross-linkers for improved thermomechanical properties and retention of radiation detection response in plastic scintillators Mahl, Adam; Lim, Allison; Latta, Joseph Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 884 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2017.11.091	journal	March 2018
Recent developments in plastic scintillators with pulse shape discrimination Zaitseva, N. P.; Glenn, A. M.; Mabe, A. N. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 889 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2018.01.093	journal	May 2018
Comparison of the pulse shape discrimination performance of plastic scintillators coupled to a SiPM Taggart, M. P.; Sellin, P. J. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 908 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2018.08.054	journal	November 2018
Plastic scintillators stable for operating in wide ranges of humidity and temperature variations Zaitseva, N. P.; Mabe, A. N.; Carman, M. L. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 954 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2018.12.024	journal	February 2020
Doping of polysiloxane rubbers for the production of organic scintillators Quaranta, A.; Carturan, S.; Marchi, T. Optical Materials, Vol. 32, Issue 10, p. 1317-1320 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.optmat.2010.04.021	journal	August 2010
Optical properties and pulse shape discrimination in siloxane-based scintillation detectors Marchi, T.; Pino, F.; Fontana, C. L. Scientific Reports, Vol. 9, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-45307-8	journal	June 2019
Fast neutron and gamma ray pulse shape discrimination in EJ-276 and EJ-276G plastic scintillators Grodzicka-Kobylka, M.; Szczesniak, T.; Moszyński, M. Journal of Instrumentation, Vol. 15, Issue 03 https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/15/03/P03030	journal	March 2020
Novel polysiloxane-based scintillators for neutron detection Carturan, S.; Quaranta, A.; Marchi, T. Radiation Protection Dosimetry, Vol. 143, Issue 2-4, p. 471-476 https://doi.org/10.1093/rpd/ncq403	journal	November 2010
Plastic Scintillators With Neutron/Gamma Pulse Shape Discrimination van Loef, Edgar V.; Markosyan, Gary; Shirwadkar, Urmila IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, Vol. 61, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1109/TNS.2013.2282079	journal	February 2014
Pulse Shape Discrimination in a Plastic Scintillator Brooks, F. D.; Pringle, R. W.; Funt, B. L. IRE Transactions on Nuclear Science, Vol. 7, Issue 2-3, p. 35-38 https://doi.org/10.1109/TNS2.1960.4315733	journal	June 1960

Similar Records

Impact of temperature on light yield and pulse shape discrimination of polysiloxane-based organic scintillators formulated with commercial resins

Journal Article · Fri Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2023 · Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment · OSTI ID:2203880

Comparative analysis of new crystal and plastic scintillators for fast and thermal neutron detection

Journal Article · Fri Oct 10 00:00:00 EDT 2025 · Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment · OSTI ID:2998659

Boron-10 Doped Polysiloxanes as Matrix Materials for Application in the Simultaneous Detection and Discrimination of Gamma Rays and Fast and Thermal Neutrons

Journal Article · Mon Sep 09 00:00:00 EDT 2024 · IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science · OSTI ID:2475407

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
Plastic scintillator
aromatic compounds
discrimination
hydrocarbons
impurities
neutron detection
plastics
polysiloxane
pulse shape
radiation detection
silicones

Polysiloxane Scintillators for Efficient Neutron and Gamma-Ray Pulse Shape Discrimination

Citation Formats

References (21)

Similar Records

Related Subjects