Plastic scintillator with effective pulse shape discrimination for neutron and gamma detection

A method for fabricating a scintillator material comprising:

• a polymer matrix comprising at least one of:
• polyvinyl xylene (PVX);
• polyvinyl diphenyl;
• and polyvinyl tetrahydronaphthalene;
• and
• a primary dye in the polymer matrix, the primary dye being a fluorescent dye, the primary dye being present in an amount of greater than 10 wt %;
• wherein a total loading of dye in the scintillator material is sufficient to cause the scintillator material to exhibit a pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) figure of merit (FOM) of about at least 2.0, and the method comprising:
• placing a precursor mixture in a heating vessel;
• heating the precursor mixture until a polymerization process yields a product that exhibits an optical response signature for neutrons which is different than an optical response signature for gamma rays, wherein the difference in the optical response signatures is sufficient to accomplish pulse shape discrimination (PSD) between the optical response signature for the neutrons and the optical response signature for the gamma rays;
• and
• shaking the heating vessel during the heating, and
• wherein the precursor mixture comprises:
• a monomer present in an amount ranging from about 60 wt % to about 95 wt %;
• a primary fluor present in an amount ranging from about 5 wt % to about 75 wt %;
• and
• a free radical initiator present in an amount of about 0.1 wt %.

A method for fabricating a scintillator material comprising:

• a polymer matrix comprising at least one of:
• polyvinyl xylene (PVX);
• polyvinyl diphenyl;
• and polyvinyl tetrahydronaphthalene;
• and
• a primary dye in the polymer matrix, the primary dye being a fluorescent dye, the primary dye being present in an amount of greater than 10 wt %;
• wherein a total loading of dye in the scintillator material is sufficient to cause the scintillator material to exhibit a pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) figure of merit (FOM) of about at least 2.0, and the method comprising:
• placing a precursor mixture in a heating vessel;
• heating the precursor mixture at a temperature of about 80° C. for approximately 96 hours until a polymerization process yields a product that exhibits an optical response signature for neutrons which is different than an optical response signature for gamma rays, wherein the difference in the optical response signatures is sufficient to accomplish pulse shape discrimination (PSD) between the optical response signature for the neutrons and the optical response signature for the gamma rays;
• and
• wherein the precursor mixture comprises:
• a monomer present in an amount ranging from about 60 wt % to about 95 wt %;
• a primary fluor present in an amount ranging from about 5 wt % to about 75 wt %;
• and
• a free radical initiator present in an amount of about 0.1 wt %.