TL and OSL dosimetric properties of Opal gemstone for gamma radiation dosimetry

In this work, the response of the natural material Opal was studied in relation to its thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), after exposure to the gamma radiation of a ⁶⁰Co source. The structure of the powdered Opal was verified using the X-ray diffraction, scanning electronic microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy techniques. The material, in its stone form, was turned into powder and mixed to Teflon (also in powder) in three different concentrations, and then pellets were manufactured. The aim of this work was to evaluate the response of these pellets in high-doses of gamma radiation beams, and to observe their possible application as dosimeters, using the TL and OSL techniques. The dosimetric properties of the samples were analyzed by means of different tests, as: TL emission curves and OSL signal decay curves, reproducibility of TL and OSL response, minimum detectable dose, TL and OSL dose–response curves (5 Gy–10 kGy), and fading. The results obtained in this work, for the TL and OSL phenomena, demonstrated that the pellets of Opal + Teflon present an adequate performance e possibility of use as dosimeters in beams of high-dose gamma radiation.     

Thermoluminescence (TL) of europium-doped ZrO2 obtained by sol–gel method

This article reports the preparation and characterization of europium-doped zirconium oxide (ZrO₂:Eu³⁺) formed by homogeneous precipitation from propoxyde of zirconium [Zr(OC₃H₇)₄]. The alkoxide sol gel process is an efficient method to prepare the zirconium oxide matrix by the hydrolysis of alkoxide precursors followed by condensation to yield a polymeric oxo-bridged ZrO₂ network. All compounds were characterized by thermal analysis and the X-ray diffractometry method. The thermoluminescence (TL) emission properties of ZrO₂:Eu³⁺ under beta radiation effects are studied. The europium-doped sintered zirconia powder presents a TL glow curve with two peaks (Tmax) centered at around 204 and around 292 ^°C, respectively. TL response of ZrO₂:Eu³⁺ as a function of beta-absorbed dose was linear from 2 Gy up to 90 Gy. The europium ion (Eu³⁺)-doped ZrO₂ was found to be more sensitive to beta radiation than undoped ZrO₂ obtained by the same method and presented a little fading of the TL signal compared with undoped zirconium oxide.     

低温燃烧合成法制备的氧化铝陶瓷粉体的发光特性

α-Al₂O₃∶C单晶具有优良的热释光特性,被用做热释光剂量计,但α-Al₂O₃∶C晶体剂量计的形状不易加工,生产成本高且碳在晶体中难以掺杂均匀。采用低温燃烧合成法以无水乙醇为溶剂,尿素为染料,硝酸铝为反应物制备少团簇、分散均匀的片状α-Al₂O₃∶C陶瓷粉体。探讨不同点火温度和不同退火温度对其光致发光特性的影响,不同退火温度对热释光特性的影响以及热释光与辐射剂量(90Sr β)的关系。通过分析α-Al₂O₃∶C陶瓷粉体的光致发光光谱得出：α-Al₂O₃∶C陶瓷粉体的发射波长在395 nm附近,点火温度T≤800℃时,点火温度为500 ℃制备的α-Al₂O₃∶C陶瓷粉体的光致发光强度最强;在相同点火温度T=500 ℃下,经不同温度退火制备α-Al₂O₃∶C陶瓷粉体,点火温度为500 ℃制备的α-Al₂O₃∶C陶瓷粉体经1 000 ℃退火后光致发光强度最强。通过分析α-Al₂O₃∶C陶瓷粉体的热释光曲线得出：退火后的α-Al₂O₃∶C陶瓷粉体在200 ℃左右的热释光峰值占主导,900 ℃退火的α-Al₂O₃∶C陶瓷粉体在200 ℃附近的热释光峰值最强;通过峰高法对900 ℃高温退火处理后的α-Al₂O₃∶C陶瓷粉体位于200 ℃左右的热释光峰做剂量响应曲线,可以看出,在1～50 Gy剂量范围内具有良好的热释光剂量线性响应关系,在50～200 Gy剂量范围内出现超线性响应关系。与α-Al₂O₃∶C晶体(1～10 Gy)和多孔Al₂O₃∶C薄膜(1～10 Gy)相比,α-Al₂O₃∶C陶瓷粉体的线性剂量响应范围明显扩大。此研究可为提高氧化铝陶瓷粉体的热释光性能提供思路。     

Thermoluminescence glow-curve characteristics of LiF phosphors at high doses of gamma radiation

High doses of ionising radiation are becoming increasingly common for radiation-processing applications of various medical, agricultural and polymer products using gamma and electron beams. The objective of this work was to study thermoluminescence (TL) glow-curve characteristics of commonly used commercial LiF TL phosphors at high doses of radiation with a view to use them in dosimetry of radiation-processing applications. The TL properties of TLD 100 and 700 phosphors, procured from the Thermo-Scientific (previously Harshaw) company, have been studied in the dose range of 1–60 kGy. The shift in glow peaks was observed in this dose range. Integral TL responses of TLD 100 and TLD 700 were found to decrease as a linear function of dose in the range of 5–50 kGy. The paper describes initial results related to the glow-curve characteristics of these phosphors.     

α-Al2O3:C晶体的热释光和光释光特性

以高纯α-Al₂O₃和石墨为原料,采用温梯法生长了α-Al₂O₃：C晶体,使用Ris TL/OSL-DA-15型热释光和光释光仪研究了其热释光和光释光特性.α-Al₂O₃：C晶体在462K附近有单一热释光峰,发射波长位于410nm.随着辐照剂量的增加,热释光强度逐渐增强,462K的热释光特征峰位置保持不变.α-Al₂O₃：C晶体的 关键词： 2O₃：C')" href="#">α-Al₂O₃：C 热释光 光释光     

A different approach to fabricate nanocrystalline LTB:Cu pellets with thermoluminescence response

In this study, lithium-tetraborate (LTB) was synthesized by three methods of high-temperature solid state, wet and combustion reactions. Copper was added to pure LTB by solution assisted method, to improve the thermoluminescence (TL) properties. The pellets of LTB were produced using pressing and sintering operations at 850 °C. The synthesized LTB pellets, exposed to the gamma radiation of ⁶⁰Co source in the dose range of 5–20Gy and glow curves as well as dose–response diagrams were obtained. Ultimately, the effects of different factors on TL behaviors like dopant, crystallite size and particle morphologies were studied. The results show that between pure samples, LTB which synthesized by combustion method has higher TL sensitivity than those of other methods. However, it was seen a weak glow peak for 5Gy, due to the nanocrystalline structure of LTB. This property led to decrease TL intensity at low-doses and postponed saturation at high-doses. Fading of this sample was also less than others and has relatively better reproducibility. Among LTB:Cu pellets which synthesized by the wet reaction showed the higher TL response than others due to the creation of more traps and luminescence centers and had promising properties in the case of dose response linearity and fading.     

Thermoluminescence properties of rare earth doped lithium magnesium borate phosphors

This paper reports the thermoluminescence (TL) properties of rare earth doped lithium magnesium borate (LMB) polycrystalline phosphor. LMB phosphor has been prepared by high temperature solid state diffusion method. Among all the rare earth doped LMB phosphors, terbium doped material has shown maximum TL sensitivity with a broad dosimetric glow peak at 240 °C. near the tissue equivalent TL phosphor with terbium dopant has about four times the TL sensitivity of TLD-100. The main dosimetric properties such as glow curve stability, TL response versus absorbed dose, post-irradiation storage stability, and reusability are investigated. This TL material has a linear dose response up to 10³ Gy, negligible storage fading and a simple annealing procedure for reuse. The TL emission spectra of LMB:Tb³⁺ showed broad green emission at 544 nm, which merged with host emission. The characteristic Tb³⁺ emissions are seen in the photoluminescence (PL) spectra.     

Effect of γ-radiation on TL,ESR and evaluation of trapping parameters of K2Ca(SO4)2:X (X = Dy or Eu) phosphors

ABSTRACT

The present phosphor K₂Ca(SO₄)_2, doped by dysprosium and europium, is synthesized by the solid-state diffusion method. The doping concentration varied from 0.1 to 0.5?mol% by weight. A phosphor is studied for X-ray powder diffraction, surface morphology analytical scanning electron microscopy and analyzed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The prepared phosphor K₂Ca(SO₄)_2, doped by Dy and Eu, has been characterized for thermoluminescence (TL) glow curve, showing maximum peak temperatures at 176°C and at 200°C, respectively. TL peak intensity of K₂Ca(SO₄)₂: Dy and Eu was compared with the standard TLD CaSO₄:Dy phosphor. Both phosphors show the dose linearity ranging from 20 to 240?Gy doses of γ-rays of ⁶⁰Co source at room temperature. Negligible fading has been observed when irradiated with γ-rays and stored for 60 days without taking any care from sunlight. The TL materials were used in powder forms. The linearity of ESR response with dose for powder forms of K₂Ca(SO₄)₂: Dy was also studied using the signals at g?=?2:0039 (SO₃^?) and at g?=?2:02282 (SO₄^?). It was observed that the range of linearity of dose response extended between 20 and 240?Gy. Kinetic parameters have been calculated using three different methods: Chen's peak shape method, various heating rate method and initial rise method. To study the heating rate method, the glow curve was recorded for the heating rate as 1°C, 3°C, 5°C, 7°C, 9°C each time. Electron spin resonance (ESR) shows the ionic radical formation during γ-irradiation, which is responsible for TL. The effect of temperature and microwave power on the ESR signal was also studied.     

OSL and TL retrospective dosimetry with a fluorapatite glass-ceramic used for dental restorations

Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) and Thermoluminescence (TL) properties of a fluorapatite glass-ceramic have been investigated, with a view to developing a dose assessment technique for medical triage following unplanned exposures of individuals to ionizing radiation. The ceramic is an innovative material used in dental prostheses and restorations. It is strongly sensitive to radiation and the intensity of both the OSL and TL signals are proportional to the absorbed radiation dose. We focused on the optimization of the measuring procedure and investigated characteristics such as reproducibility, fading, minimum detectable dose (MDD), dose response and photon energy response of TL and OSL signals. The dental ceramic exhibited very good reproducibility (<5% at 2σ level) when measured and a linear dose response for a wide range of doses (50 mGy–20 Gy). The MDD values for the samples investigated were ∼5 mGy. The material is not tissue equivalent and the OSL and TL signals are strongly dependent on incident photon energy. Both the luminescence signals exhibited significant fading during the first few hours after irradiation. Its rate was dependent on the parameters of measurement. The results indicate that the material can be used for the purposes of accident dosimetry, however, the fading and photon energy response have to be properly corrected for a reliable dose assessment.     

Thermally stimulated luminescence of Mg-doped ZnO Nanophosphors

Nanosized ZnO:Mg phosphors were synthesized through a controlled chemical reaction. X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed that Mg entered in a substitutive way in Zn sites. To investigate their thermoluminescence (TL) properties, some samples were exposed to beta-particle irradiation. The results reported here show that Mg doping improves ZnO TL features that are important for TL dosimetry applications, such as the shape of the glow curve, the temperature at which the maximum TL intensity is observed, and the TL fading and reproducibility. No saturation clues of the TL response as a function of the dose is observed for doses below 1600 Gy.     

不同粒径α-Al2O3:C晶态粉体热释光和光释光特性

本文探讨了α -Al₂O₃:C晶态粉体的辐照剂量效应, 使用RisøTL/OSL-DA-15 型热释光和光释光仪研究其热释光和光释光特性, 结果发现, 相同粒径的α-Al₂O₃:C晶态粉体具有单一热释光峰, 且随着辐照剂量的增加热释光强度不断增加, 但热释光峰位置保持不变, 符合一级动力学模型; 而在相同的辐照剂量和测试条件下, 随着α -Al₂O₃:C晶态粉体粒径的减小, 其热释光强度先增强后减弱, 热释光峰却逐渐增加至趋于稳定, 表明粒度为40—60 μ的α -Al₂O₃:C晶态粉体具有最佳的热释光效应. 同时α -Al₂O₃:C晶态粉体的光释光特性的研究发现, 其光释光曲线具有典型的指数衰减特征, 粒径对其光释光强度和衰减速率的影响符合浅电子陷阱能级理论.     

Intrinsic dosimetry: Elemental composition effects on the thermoluminescence of commercial borosilicate glass

Intrinsic dosimetry is the method of measuring total absorbed dose received by the walls of a container holding radioactive material. By considering this dose in tandem with the physical characteristics of the radioactive material housed within the container, this method can provide enhanced pathway information for interdicted radioactive samples. Thermoluminescence (TL) dosimetry was used to measure ionizing radiation dose effects on stock borosilicate glass. Differences in TL glow curve shape and intensity were observed for glasses from different geographical origins. The different TL signatures strongly correlated with the concentration of alkaline earth metals and the ratio of sodium to the total amount of alkali metal present in the borosilicate glass.     

The effect of heat treatment on the thermoluminescence of naturally-occurring calcites and their use as a gamma-ray dosimeter

The feasibility of using naturally-occurring calcite for gamma-ray dosimetry was investigated. Anneal treatment above 350°C increased the sensitivity of all radiation-induced TL peaks except the glow peaks above 300°C. On the other hand, annealing in air, at a temperature of 700°C caused a collapse in the TL sensitivity. The increase in TL efficiency was found to depend on the annealing temperature and time. Heating at 600°C for 5 h and quenching in ambient air are the optimum conditions for TL sensitivity enhancement in the calcite materials investigated. These results are explained using the energy scheme of the pre-dose model of Zimmerman (1971) and in terms of the impurity rearrangements in the crystal lattice induced by heating. It was found that the values of the kinetic parameters E, s and b for TL glow peaks remained unchanged for annealed samples. The TL dose–response curves for stable dosimetric peaks of annealed and unannealed calcite samples could be fitted to the same linear mathematical function. This implies that the annealing process probably does not change the nature of the trapping centers except the low temperature TL peaks at 125 and 160°C of flowstone. The TL dosimetric parameters of calcite samples annealed, including glow curves, fading characteristics, dose–responses, dose-rate responses and energy responses, have also been studied in detail. The response to gamma-rays of annealed calcite samples was found to be linear from 0.05 to 10⁴ Gy. The lower limit of observable doses for each calcite sample was about 0.05 Gy. This offers the possibility of applying the investigated materials for gamma-ray dosimetry within this useful range. These dosimeters can be used in various applications, such as, in industries related to chemical technology (polymerization), food processing and in determining the dose received by the patient during medical examination and treatment.     

不同退火温度的Al_2O_3:C薄膜热释光和光释光性能

α-Al_2O_3:C晶体的热释光和光释光性能优越,但其制备要求高,需高温和高还原气氛.与α-Al_2O_3:C晶体性能接近的α-Al_2O_3:C陶瓷,热释光峰不单一.本文采用两次阳极氧化法在0.5 mol/L的草酸溶液中5℃恒温制备高度均匀有序的多孔Al_2O_3:C薄膜,主要研究不同退火温度对其热释光和光释光特性的影响.结果表明,经不同温度退火后的Al_2O_3:C薄膜均为非晶结构;不同退火温度的Al_2O_3:C薄膜热释光的主发光峰约在310℃左右,符合通用级动力学模型.600℃退火后的Al_2O_3:C薄膜热释光灵敏度最强,其热释光剂量曲线在1-10 Gy范围内具有很好的线性响应,在剂量10-120 Gy范围内出现超线性响应;在相同的辐照剂量下,随着退火温度的升高(≤600℃)光释光的初始发光强度逐渐增强.不同退火温度的Al_2O_3:C薄膜光释光衰减曲线都呈典型的指数衰减且快衰减速率相比α-Al_2O_3:C晶体显著加快.600℃退火后的Al_2O_3:C薄膜光释光灵敏度最强,其光释光剂量响应曲线在1-200 Gy整体上都具有很好的剂量线性关系.与热释光相比,Al_2O_3:C薄膜的光释光具有更宽的线性剂量响应范围.此研究为Al_2O_3:C薄膜作为光释光辐射剂量材料做出了有益的探索.     

Synthesis and thermoluminescence characterization of MgB4O7:Gd,Li

Magnesium tetraborate (MTB) doped with rare earth elements were synthesized by solid state sintering technique. Among the different rare earth dopants studied in this phosphor, gadolinium doped phosphors resulted in a single intense dosimetric peak at 250 °C and this is the first report in rare earth-doped MgB₄O₇ with a glow peak above 200 °C Photoluminescence (PL) and thermoluminescence (TL) studies were performed with this phosphor after exposing the powder samples to ionizing radiation. Monovalent dopants, including Na, Li and Ag, were found to increase the TL sensitivity of the MgB₄O₇:Gd phosphor without a shift in the TL peak temperature. The TL emission spectra showed characteristic emission of the host lattice, which showed an increase on doping with rare earth or monovalent codopants. The TL sensitivity, dose response curve, and post-irradiation storage stability were studied for the possible use of this material in radiation dosimetry applications. The TL parameters, such as the activation energy, the frequency factor, and the order of kinetics were determined for the Gd-doped MgB₄O₇ phosphor. The phosphor was found to be reusable after a few cycles of irradiation and annealing. The post-irradiation storage stability studies showed that this near tissue-equivalent phosphor, which has a gamma sensitivity five times that of TLD-100, is suitable for medical dosimetry applications.     

Thermoluminescence of nanocrystalline LiF:Mg, Cu, P

Nanocrystalline LiF:Mg, Cu, P of rod shape (about 30-40 nm in diameter and 0.3-0.5 μm in length) has been prepared by the chemical co-precipitation method. Thermoluminescence (TL) and dosimetric characteristics of the nanocrystalline phosphor are studied and presented here. The formation of the material was confirmed by the X-ray diffraction (XRD). Its shape and size were also observed by transmission electron microscope (TEM). The TL glow curve of the nanocrystalline powder shows a single peak at 410 K along with four overlapping peaks of lesser intensities at around 570, 609, 638 and 663 K. The observed TL sensitivity of the prepared nanocrystalline powder is less than that of the commercially available “Harshaw TLD-700H hot-pressed chips” at low doses but it still around three times more than that of LiF:Mg, Ti (TLD-100) phosphor. The 410 K peak of the nanomaterial phosphor shows a very linear response with exposures increasing up to very high values (as high as 10 kGy), where all the other thermoluminesent dosimeters (TLD) phosphors show saturation. This linear response over a large span of exposures (0.1 Gy-10 kGy) along with negligible fading and its insensitivity to heating treatments makes the nanocrystalline phosphor useful for its application to estimate high exposures of γ-rays. The ‘tissue equivalence’ property of this material also makes it useful over a wide range of high-energy radiation.     

SrSO4:Eu磷光体的光释光特性

研究了通过掺杂得到的SrSO4:Eu(01mol%)的粉末样品的光释光(OSL)特性.用90Sr的β射线辐照0116—116kGy后，测定了恒定光源激发的光释光发光曲线(CW-OSL)和线性光源激发的光释光发光曲线(LW-OSL)，对发光曲线分析均得到了四种陷阱成分.采用复合作用响应函数得到SrSO4:Eu辐射剂量响应为线性-亚线性.测量了温度对OSL信号的影响，结果表明OSL信号的温度稳定性很好，最灵敏读出温度约为180℃，说明这时OSL信号来自热激发和光激发的共同作用.用60Coγ辐照100Gy后，测量了热释光(TL)三维光谱，确定了发光波长主要位于375nm，可以确定这是来自于Eu2+能级跃迁的发光. 关键词： 光释光 热释光 SrSO4:Eu     

Intrinsic dosimetry of glass containers used to transport nuclear materials: Potential implications to the fields of waste management and nuclear forensics

Thermoluminescence (TL) and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) dosimetry were used to measure dose effects in borosilicate glass with time, from 10 min to 60 days following exposure to a dose of up to 100 Gy. TL and EPR results were consistent and performed similarly, with both techniques capable of achieving an estimated limit of detection of between 0.5 and 1 Gy. Three peaks were identified in the TL glow curve at roughly 110 °C, 205 °C, and 225 °C. The intensity of the 205 °C peak was the dominant peak over the time period of this study. The stability of all of the peaks with time since irradiation increased with their corresponding temperature and no significant variation was observed in the glow curve response to a specified total dose attained at different dose rates. The intensity of the 205 °C peak decreased logarithmically with time regardless of total dose. Based upon a conservative limit of detection of 3.3 Gy, a 100 Gy dose would still be detected 2.7E3 years after exposure. Here, we introduce the concept of intrinsic dosimetry, the measurement of the total absorbed dose received by the walls of a container containing radioactive material. The foreseen advantage of intrinsic dosimetry comes from considering the measured absorbed dose received by containers in concert with the characteristics (amount, type) of the source of that dose, the radioactive material contained within the walls of the container, in order to provide enhanced information about the history of an unknown sample in question. Three hypothetical scenarios are presented to introduce this method and to illustrate how intrinsic dosimetry might benefit the fields of nuclear forensics and waste management.     

Radioluminescence (RL) behaviour of Al2O3:C-potential for dosimetric applications

The radioluminescence (RL) of carbon doped aluminium oxide (Al₂O₃:C) TL dosimeter material (TLD-500) was investigated using a ¹³⁷Cs conversion electron source (which also emits β and γ) for simultaneous irradiation and luminescence excitation. Furthermore, RL dosimetry characteristics of this material were studied. The main RL emission occurs at 420 nm. That matches the known main TL and OSL emissions for this material as well as an emission that was investigated in earlier RL studies, excited at higher energies (4 MeV electrons) and very high pulse delivered doses (≈800 kGy·s⁻¹). Furthermore, the saturation dose for the main peak is reached at the dose level of ≈80 Gy as known from TL and earlier RL investigations. Other peaks at 700 and 790 nm and broad emission bands at photon energies higher than 3.00 eV and others between 2.00 and 2.50 eV were observed. The 700 nm emission shows growth also at higher dose levels, and saturates at an estimated dose of ≈800 Gy. The 790 nm emission reaches its maximum intensity at ≈10 Gy absorbed dose. The reported results give an outlook to the usability and the potential of Al₂O₃:C combined with RL measurements for radiation dosimetry as well as for beta source calibration, using radioluminescence.