Use of alanine-silicone pellets for electron paramagnetic resonance gamma dosimetry

Silicone is proposed as an alternative binding substance in the production of D-L alanine pellets used in electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) dosimetry of gamma rays. The dosimeters are manufactured at room temperature, making the production simple. Examination by EPR silicone-alanine pellets irradiated with 60Co gamma rays in the dose range 10 to 10(6) Gy shows that the proposed silicone binder does not affect typical alanine dose-response curves. Thermal stability of the pellets below 40 degrees C is good, but their pre-dose EPR signal amplitude is slightly higher than for nonirradiated alanine.