Plastic Detector Material Distinguishes Neutrons from Gamma Rays
For years, plastic materials have been used in large, low-cost detectors for portals and high-energy physics facilities, and while they could detect neutrons and gamma rays, they have been incapable of distinguishing one from the other, which is key to identifying nuclear substances such as uranium and plutonium from benign radioactive sources. Organic crystals serve as one of the best neutron detectors, but the crystals can be difficult to grow and obtain in large volumes. Liquid scintillators (i.e., special liquids that light up when excited by ionizing radiation) present some hazards that hinder their use. Gas detectors that rely on helium-3, a byproduct of tritium's radioactive decay, have run into problems because the U.S. now produces markedly less tritium. Plastics have more flexibility in their composition and structure than crystals, as well as having none of the hazards associated with liquid scintillators.
The team's research to develop plastic scintillators has been funded by the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) Office of Nonproliferation and Verification Research and Development (NA-22), which recognized the importance of these materials while they were in an early, formative stage. One of the next steps for the team will be to find the right commercial partners. Currently, active negotiations to license the technology are under way with two companies, one of which is already engaged in process development.
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