Gd2O3:Eu3+/PPO/POPOP/PS composites for digital imaging radiation detectors

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2015

Authors

Oliveira, J (Author) Other; Martins, PM (Author) Other; Martins, P (Author) Other; Correia, V (Author) Other; Rocha, JG (Author) Other; Lanceros Mendez, S (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Applied Physics A: Materials Science and Processing

Vol. 121

Pages: 581-587

ISSN: 0947-8396

Publisher: Springer Nature

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 7 Citations

Scopus - 11 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00G-JM7

DOI: 10.1007/s00339-015-9435-2

Abstract (EN): Polymer-based scintillator composites have been produced by combining polystyrene (PS) and Gd2O3:Eu3+ scintillator nanoparticles. Polystyrene has been used since it is a flexible and stable binder matrix, resistant to thermal and light deterioration and with suitable optical properties. Gd2O3:Eu3+ has been selected as scintillator material due to its wide band gap, high density and visible light yield. The optical, thermal and electrical characteristics of the composites were studied as a function of filler content, together with their performance as scintillator material. Additionally 1 wt.% of 2,5-diphenyloxazole (PPO) and 0.01 wt.% of 1,4 di[2-(5phenyloxazolyl)]benzene (POPOP) were introduced in the polymer matrix in order to strongly improve light yield, i.e., the measured intensity of the output visible radiation, under X-ray irradiation. Increasing scintillator filler concentration (from 0.25 to 7.5 wt.%) increases scintillator light yield and decreases the optical transparency of the composite. The addition of PPO and POPOP strongly increased the overall transduction performance of the composite due to specific absorption and re-emission processes. It is thus shown that Gd2O3:Eu3+/PPO/POPOP/PS composites with 0.25 wt.% of scintillator content with fluorescence molecules are suitable for the development of innovative large-area X-ray radiation detectors with huge demand from the industries.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 7