Doping of Fluorchlorozirconate and Borate-Silica Glass Ceramics for Medical Imaging and Fast Neutron Scintillation

Borate silica glass ceramics were produced for neutron scintillation. The Glass ceramics were doped with europium fluoride [EuF₂] and cerium chloride [CeCl₃]. Isotopic lithium fluoride [⁶LiF] and boron oxide [¹⁰B₂O₃] were used in most samples while non-isotopic lithium fluoride [LiF] and boron oxide [ B₂O₃] were used in the rest. When exposed to a neutron beam, samples doped with europium fluoride [EuF₂] scintillated while samples doped with cerium chloride [CeCl₃] did not. This contradicts current literature on fast scintillation. What is even more significant is that with europium fluoride [EuF₂] as a dopant, isotopes were not necessary for scintillation results. Eliminating isotopes from the glasses heavily reduces their production cost. This would introduce a high quality, fast scintillator into the market without the expense of isotopes. This has great potential for homeland security, maintenance and safety of nuclear production and storage facilities, and even transportation safety.

ZBLAN glass ceramics were produced for medical imaging. The primary goal was to further investigate crystalline phase transformations of barium chloride [BaCl₂]. The phases are important because they determine how the glass ceramic behaves. Hexagonal glasses act as scintillators, orthorhombic phase barium chloride [BaCl2] behave as storage phosphors, and an unknown phase may affect the properties of both. Samples were made and characterized using Differential Scanning Calorimetry, in-situ X-Ray Diffraction, and Phosphorimetry. We found that defects created in the glass ceramics are important to how the crystals form.