Our scintillators for imaging using fast neutrons

PP / ZnS scintillation plates (fast neutrons)

Commonly used scintillation plates for fast neutron imaging is a PP plate filled with ZnS. These are available with different emission wavelengths (blue to orange), while the green to orange plates match the sensitivity of standard CCD camera systems very well.

Due to the variety of available layer thicknesses (1.5 to 3 mm) and sizes (up to 450 x 450 mm), the properties of the scintillation plate can be perfectly adapted to the ambient conditions. (High light yield or high resolution).

A good overview of the most important technical data can be found in the publication by M. Makowska et al (J. Imaging 2017, 3, 60).

ZnS:Ag or Cu applied as a layer on a PE plate

In co-operation with staff from LANSCE (Los Alamos) / PSI (Villigen) / FRM II (Garching) we were able to develop these scintillators with exceptionally good resolution for imaging with fast neutrons. Technical details can be found in the publication.

The resolution and light yield is mainly determined by the thickness of the scintillation layer. The thickness of the PE plate has a lesser influence. As a general rule, the thicker the layer, the higher the light yield and the lower the resolution. For high resolutions, we recommend a layer thickness of 60 µm of ZnS:Ag on a PE plate of 2 mm. For high light yields, a layer thickness of 150 µm of ZnS:Ag on a PE sheet of 3 mm.