Improving the Presage® polymer radiosensitivity for hot cell and glovebox 3D characterization

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Engineering
• Radiation Detection and Measurement
• Materials Science

Background:

• Nuclear facilities require radiation mapping for safe decommissioning and decontamination.
• Access to high-radiation areas is often limited, necessitating specialized detection devices.
• Current RadBall technology uses a tungsten shell and radiosensitive polymer to map radiation sources.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance the radiosensitivity of the PRESAGE polymer used in RadBall detectors.
• To significantly reduce the deployment time of RadBall devices in nuclear environments.
• To improve the efficiency of radiation characterization in challenging nuclear facility settings.

Main Methods:

• Development of a new PRESAGE polymer formulation with increased radiosensitivity.
• Integration of the enhanced polymer into the RadBall passive radiation detection device.
• Analysis of radiation track generation and characterization capabilities with the new formulation.

Main Results:

• The new PRESAGE formulation demonstrated a fourfold increase in radiosensitivity compared to the original.
• This enhanced radiosensitivity allows for a corresponding fourfold reduction in RadBall deployment times.
• The improved RadBall system maintains its 3D radiation mapping capabilities.

Conclusions:

• The enhanced RadBall formulation offers a significant improvement in deployment efficiency for nuclear facility mapping.
• Reduced mapping times minimize worker radiation exposure and facility downtime.
• This advancement supports safer and more effective nuclear decommissioning and decontamination processes.