Fluorescent composition, a process for synthesizing the fluorescent composition

A fluorescent composition useful for detection of radioactive or non-fluorescent species by fluorescence, said composition comprising microparticulate silica having a size of about 5 to 20 microns, an amine linking agent fixedly attached by covalent chemical bonding to the surface of said microparticulate silica by reacting said microparticulate silica with said amine linking agent to form an intermediate product, and a fluorescent material fixedly attached to said amine linking agent by reacting said fluorescent material with the said intermediate product, said microparticulate silica-amine linking agent reaction comprising (a) reacting at room temperature an amine linking agent with an aqueous slurry of said silica whereby there is formed an intermediate product consisting of said amine linking agent covalently bonded to said silica and (b) recovering, washing and drying said intermediate product, and said fluorescent materialintermediate product reaction comprising (c) reacting at about room temperature a slurry of the dried intermediate product with said fluorescent material whereby said fluorescent composition is produced, and (d) recovering, washing and drying said fluorescent composition.