Development of new thermoluminescent dosimeters for neutron measurements

The main purpose of the proposed study is the investigation of the possibility to be used as neutron dosimeters with the analysis of the dependence on thermoluminescent radiation dose by synthesizing the borates which is doped metal ions and were development of materials until obtaining the best thermoluminescent neutron dosimeters. Borate anion group-containing materials such as LiB3O5, Li2B4O7, BaB4O7, CaB4O7 and MgB4O7 were produced for to be used as neutron dosimeters by solid-state synthesis method and after the synthesizing process compounds which include borate anion group were be doped with metal ions by high temperature solid state method. Afterwards, for thermoluminescence measurement of doped materials with the aim of the characterization of dosimetric materials X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Thermal (DTA, TGA), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses are done. As a result of this analyses, the thermoluminescence measurements of materials are taken. XRD patterns of the synthesized compounds have demonstrated compliance with borate peak in JCPDS card. FT-IR spectra results did not yield different band structure in compounds. Thermoluminescent measurement results show that neutron radiation-sensitive borate compound are produced. Thermal analysis of the neutron-sensitive compounds were performed. According to the results of this analysis borate compounds are thermally stable. In all borate compunds, 0.5Dy% doped CaB4O7 yielded highest thermoluminescence response. Doping with Dy, MgB4O7 compounds shows increased thermoluminescence response for neutron radiation. Using different concentrations of Dy, Ag, Cu, Eu, Mg and Gd dopants into Li2B4O7 gave good results of neutron-radiation sensitivity. In this study, borate compounds that result after neutron irradiation were compared with TLD-600/TLD-700 neutron dosimeters. Accordingly, the compounds exhibit an ideal fit for all conditions required for a neutron dosimeter. The work carried out under this thesis has reached the objectives.