Plastic scintillator with effective pulse shape discrimination for neutron and gamma detection

US10266761B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC · US

Inventors

• Natalia P. Zaitseva · Livermore, US
• M Leslie Carman · San Ramon, US
• Nerine Cherepy · Piedmont, US
• Andrew M. Glenn · Livermore, US
• Sebastien Hamel · Livermore, US
• Stephen A. Payne · Castro Valley, US
• Benjamin Rupert · Berkeley, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 7, 2016
• Grant date: Apr 23, 2019
• Expiry date: Jun 1, 2036

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C09K2211/1475
• WIPO field: Environmental technology
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

In one embodiment, a scintillator material includes a polymer matrix; and a primary dye in the polymer matrix, the primary dye being a fluorescent dye, the primary dye being present in an amount of 5 wt % or more; wherein the scintillator material exhibits an optical response signature for neutrons that is different than an optical response signature for gamma rays. In another embodiment, a scintillator material includes a polymer matrix comprising at least one of: polyvinyl xylene (PVX); polyvinyl diphenyl; and polyvinyl tetrahydronaphthalene; and a primary dye in the polymer matrix, the primary dye being a fluorescent dye, the primary dye being present in an amount greater than 10 wt %. A total loading of dye in the scintillator material is sufficient to cause the scintillator material to exhibit a pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) figure of merit (FOM) of about at least 2.0.