Boron-Based Neutron Scintillator Screens for Neutron Imaging

Chuirazzi, William C.; Craft, Aaron E.; Schillinger, Burkhard; Cool, Steven; Tengattini, Alessandro

doi:10.3390/jimaging6110124

Title: Boron-Based Neutron Scintillator Screens for Neutron Imaging

Journal Article · 19 November 2020 · Journal of Imaging

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/jimaging6110124 · OSTI ID:1721670

Chuirazzi, William C. ^[1];

^[1]; Schillinger, Burkhard ^[2]; Cool, Steven ^[3]; Tengattini, Alessandro ^[4]

Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Technische Univ. München, Garching (Germany)
DMI/Reading Imaging, Reading, MA (United States)
Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble (France); Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL), Grenoble (France)

In digital neutron imaging, the neutron scintillator screen is a limiting factor of spatial resolution and neutron capture efficiency and must be improved to enhance the capabilities of digital neutron imaging systems. Commonly used neutron scintillators are based on ⁶LiF and gadolinium oxysulfide neutron converters. This work explores boron-based neutron scintillators because ¹⁰B has a neutron absorption cross-section four times greater than 6Li, less energetic daughter products than Gd and ⁶Li, and lower γ-ray sensitivity than Gd. These factors all suggest that, although borated neutron scintillators may not produce as much light as ⁶Li-based screens, they may offer improved neutron statistics and spatial resolution. This work conducts a parametric study to determine the effects of various boron neutron converters, scintillator and converter particle sizes, converter-to-scintillator mix ratio, substrate materials, and sensor construction on image quality. The best performing boron-based scintillator screens demonstrated an improvement in neutron detection efficiency when compared with a common ⁶LiF/ZnS scintillator, with a 125% increase in thermal neutron detection efficiency and 67% increase in epithermal neutron detection efficiency. The spatial resolution of high-resolution borated scintillators was measured, and the neutron tomography of a test object was successfully performed using some of the boron-based screens that exhibited the highest spatial resolution. For some applications, boron-based scintillators can be utilized to increase the performance of a digital neutron imaging system by reducing acquisition times and improving neutron statistics.

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Research Organization:: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program; USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC07-05ID14517

OSTI ID:: 1721670

Report Number(s):: INL/JOU-20-58248-Rev000; TRN: US2204840

Journal Information:: Journal of Imaging, Vol. 6, Issue 11; ISSN 2313-433X

Publisher:: MDPICopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Title: Boron-Based Neutron Scintillator Screens for Neutron Imaging

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