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A New Ceramic Scintillator for
Neutron Detection—ALEM-RMD Joint Venture,
Dr. Jaroslaw Glodo, Principal
Investigator, jglofo@rmdinc.com
Dr. Gerald Entine, Business
Official, gentine@rmdinc.com
DOE Grant No. DE-FG02-04ER83898
Amount: $750,000
The utilization of high
neutron fluxes (such as at new DOE Spallation Neutron Source, SNS, which is
used for materials science studies) is often limited by detection systems,
particularly scintillators. For example,
the widely-used ZnS:Ag/LiF phosphor, although very bright, is slow and opaque
to its own light, forcing the use of thin layers and compromising detection
efficiency. This project will develop a
novel neutron scintillator based on a CaF2:Eu/LiF ceramic. This material, which is transparent to its
own light, will allow the use of thicker layers, improving detection efficiency
and pulse height discrimination. Since
its emission it twice as fast as ZnS:Ag, with no long-term afterglow, it will
also permit higher counting rates.
Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The new material should find application in the Spallation Neutron Source – in the approximately 15 neutron scattering instruments that use scintillators for neutron detection. It also should expand the choices for neutron scintillators.