Ceramic scintillator body and scintillation device
A scintillation device includes a ceramic scintillator body that includes a polycrystalline ceramic scintillating material comprising gadolinium. The polycrystalline ceramic scintillating material is characterized by a pyrochlore crystallographic structure. A method of producing a ceramic scintillator body includes preparing a precursor solution including a rare earth element precursor, a hafnium precursor, and an activator (Ac) precursor. The method also includes obtaining a precipitate from the solution and calcining the precipitate to produce a polycrystalline ceramic scintillating material including the rare earth element, hafnium, and the activator, and having a pyrochlore titrating the precursor solution into the precipitant solution structure.
1. A scintillation device comprising a ceramic scintillator body that includes a polycrystalline ceramic scintillating material having a chemical composition represented by a general formula of A 2 Hf 2 O 7 :Ac, wherein Ac is an activator including cerium or neodymium, and A includes gadolinium, wherein the polycrystalline ceramic scintillating material is characterized by a pyrochlore crystallographic structure.
2. A ceramic scintillating powder comprising a polycrystalline ceramic scintillating material having a chemical composition represented by a general formula of A 2 Hf 2 O 7 :Ac, wherein Ac is an activator including cerium or neodymium, and A includes gadolinium, wherein the polycrystalline ceramic scintillating material is characterized by a pyrochlore crystallographic structure.
3. The ceramic scintillating powder of claim 2 , wherein the polycrystalline ceramic scintillating material comprises a plurality of substantially spherical particles and wherein at least ninety percent of the particles are characterized by a particle size of from approximately 50 nm to approximately 250 nm.
4. The ceramic scintillating powder of claim 3 , wherein at least ninety percent of the particles are characterized by a particle size of from approximately 66 nm to approximately 220 nm.
5. The scintillation device of claim 1 , wherein A represents gadolinium.
6. The scintillation device of claim 1 , wherein A 2 includes gadolinium and another rare earth element.
7. The scintillation device of claim 6 , wherein the other rare earth element is characterized by an atomic radius greater than or equal to 180 pm.
8. The scintillation device of claim 7 , wherein the other rare earth element is characterized by an atomic radius greater than or equal to 195 pm.
9. The ceramic scintillating powder of claim 2 , wherein A includes gadolinium and another rare earth element.
10. The ceramic scintillating powder of claim 2 , wherein A represents gadolinium.
11. The ceramic scintillating powder of claim 2 , wherein the chemical composition is represented by a formula of Gd 2 Hf 2 O 7 :Ce.
12. The scintillation device of claim 1 , wherein the activator comprises less than ten percent (10%) of the polycrystalline ceramic scintillating material based on molar percentage.
13. The scintillation device of claim 1 , wherein the activator comprises cerium.
14. The scintillation device of claim 1 , wherein the activator comprises neodymium.
15. The scintillation device of claim 1 , wherein the chemical composition is represented by a formula of Gd 2 Hf 2 O 7 :Ce.
16. The scintillation device of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic scintillator body is characterized by a density of at least 99.9% of theoretical density.
17. The scintillation device of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic scintillator body is characterized by a grain size of from approximately 1 μm to approximately 100 μm.
18. The scintillation device of claim 1 , wherein the chemical composition is represented by Gd 2 Hf 2 O 7 Nd.
19. A method of producing a ceramic scintillator body, the method comprising:
preparing a precursor solution including a rare earth element precursor, a hafnium precursor, and an activator (Ac) precursor;
obtaining a precipitate from the solution; and
calcining the precipitate to produce a polycrystalline ceramic scintillating material having a chemical composition represented by a general formula of A 2 Hf 2 O 7 :Ac and a pyrochlore crystallographic structure, wherein Ac is an activator including Ce or Nd, and A includes gadolinium.
20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
preparing a precipitant solution; and
titrating the precursor solution into the precipitant solution, or titrating the precipitant solution into the precursor solution, to obtain the precipitate.