Plastic scintillators
Compositions, methods, and systems related to plastic scintillating materials based on a polymer including an aromatic ring structure combined with an oxazole and a cross-linker are disclosed. The disclosed plastic scintillator materials may advantageously provide gamma-neutron pulse shape discrimination capabilities.
1. A scintillator material comprising:
a polymer including an aromatic ring structure;
an oxazole, wherein the scintillator material comprises between about 10 to 40 weight percent of the oxazole; and
a cross-linker, wherein the scintillator material comprises less than about 2 weight percent of the cross-linker, wherein the cross-linker links at least a first chain of the polymer to a second chain of the polymer.
2. The scintillator material of claim 1 , wherein the oxazole is PPO.
3. The scintillator material of claim 1 , wherein the scintillator material comprises between about 20 to 30 weight percent of the oxazole.
4. The scintillator material of claim 1 , wherein the scintillator material comprises between about 0.001 to 2 weight percent of the cross-linker.
5. The scintillator material of claim 1 , wherein the scintillator material comprises between about 0.1 to 1.0 weight percent of the cross-linker.
6. The scintillator material of claim 1 , wherein the scintillator material comprises between about 0.2 to 0.4 weight percent of the cross-linker.
7. The scintillator material of claim 1 , wherein the cross-linker comprises two vinyl groups.
8. The scintillator material of claim 1 , wherein the cross-linker comprises an aromatic ring structure.
9. The scintillator material of claim 1 , wherein the cross-linker comprises divinyl benzene.
10. The scintillator material of claim 1 , wherein the polymer comprises at least one of polystyrene and vinyl toluene.
11. The scintillator material of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is free of carbonyl group.
12. The scintillator material of claim 1 , wherein the scintillator material composition has a figure of merit greater than about 3.
13. A system for detecting radiation, comprising:
a detector comprising a scintillator material comprising a polymer including an aromatic ring structure, an oxazole, and a cross-linker, wherein the scintillator material comprises between about 10 to 40 weight percent of the oxazole, wherein the scintillator material comprises less than about 2 weight percent of the cross-linker, and wherein the cross-linker links at least a first chain of the polymer to a second chain of the polymer; and
a light detector assembly coupled to the scintillator material to detect a light pulse luminescence from the scintillator material.
14. A method of radiation detection, comprising:
providing a detection system comprising:
a scintillator material comprising a polymer including an aromatic ring, an oxazole, and a cross-linker, wherein the scintillator material comprises between about 10 to 40 weight percent of the oxazole, wherein the scintillator material comprises less than about 2 weight percent of the cross-linker, and wherein the cross-linker links at least a first chain of the polymer to a second chain of the polymer; and
a detection assembly coupled to the scintillator material to detect a light pulse luminescence from the scintillator as a measure of a scintillation event;
positioning the system such that a radiation source is within a field of view of the system so as to detect emissions from the source; and
measuring a scintillation event luminescence signal from the scintillator material with the detection assembly.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising processing the measured luminescence signal using pulse shape discrimination analysis to differentiate between gamma emissions and neutron emissions from the source.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the signal processed with pulse shape discrimination analysis has a figure of merit greater than about 3.