Neutron scintillators with high detection efficiency

✍ Scribed by T Kojima; M Katagiri; N Tsutsui; K Imai; M Matsubayashi; K Sakasai

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2004
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 241 KB
• Volume: 529
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0168-9002
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2004.05.005

✦ Synopsis

We have developed three kinds of phosphor/neutron-converter scintillators aiming to increase the detection efficiency of the neutron imaging detectors. One is the ZnS:Ag/ 6 LiF (powder) scintillator, which contained 6 LiF about twice in amount comparing to the commercial product (Bicron, BC-704) and painted in a sheet, and the 0.4-mm-thick scintillator sheet exhibited the detection efficiency of 43.5% for thermal neutrons. This value was improved B1.5 times than that of BC-704. Another developed scintillator was a ZnS:Ag/ 10 B 2 O 3 (powder), which contained 10 B as a neutron converter. The scintillator was fabricated by sintering up to the temperature of 500 or 600 C, and it exhibited the detection efficiency of 30% for thermal neutrons. Moreover, we developed ZnS:Ag/ 10 B 2 O 3 glass-scintillator, which was fabricated by increasing the amount of 10 B 2 O 3 up to 70-90% of the constituents and by sintering the scintillator materials up to the temperature of 650 C. The fabricated glass scintillators, which had a thickness of 0.9-1 mm, exhibited the detection efficiency of 20-40% for thermal neutrons.