Studies on new neutron-sensitive dosimeters using an optically stimulated luminescence technique

The neutron response of detectors prepared using α-Al2O3:C phosphor developed using a melt processing technique and mixed with neutron converters was studied in monoenergetic neutron fields. The detector pellets were arranged in two different pairs: α-Al2O3:C + 6LiF/α-Al2O3:C + 7LiF and α-Al2O3:C + high-density polyethylene/α-Al2O3:C + Teflon, for neutron dosimetry using albedo and recoil proton techniques. The optically stimulated luminescence response of the Al2O3:C + 6,7LiF dosimeter to radiation from a 252Cf source was 0.21, in terms of personal dose equivalent Hp(10) and relative to radiation from a 137Cs source. This was comparable to results obtained with similar detectors prepared using commercially available α-Al2O3:C phosphor. The Hp(10) response of the α-Al2O3:C + 6,7LiF dosimeters was found to decrease by more than two orders of magnitude with increasing neutron energy, as expected for albedo dosimeters. The response of the α-Al2O3:C + high-density polyethylene/α-Al2O3:C + Teflon dosimeters was small, of the order of 1% to 2% in terms of Hp(10) and relative to radiation from a 137Cs source, for neutron energies greater than 1 MeV.