A plastic scintillation counter prototype

Area of Science:

• Nuclear physics and instrumentation
• Radiochemistry and analytical chemistry

Background:

• Liquid scintillation counters are standard for beta-ray measurement but involve liquid scintillators.
• There is a need for alternative, potentially safer or more convenient, beta-ray detection methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a prototype plastic scintillation counter as an alternative to liquid scintillation counters.
• To assess the performance of the plastic scintillation counter for beta-ray measurements.

Main Methods:

• Assembly of a prototype device using plastic scintillation sheets (PS sheets) as the sample applicator.
• Evaluation of the device's performance using tritium-labeled compounds.
• Analysis of the relationship between sample activity and net count rate.

Main Results:

• The plastic scintillation counter was successfully assembled as a liquid-free alternative.
• Good linearity was observed between the activity of tritium-labeled compounds and the net count rate.
• A low calculated detection limit of 0.01 Bq mL(-1) was achieved for a 2 mL sample after 10 hours of measurement.

Conclusions:

• The prototype plastic scintillation counter is a viable alternative to liquid scintillation counters for beta-ray measurement.
• The device offers good performance characteristics, including linearity and a low detection limit.
• This technology may offer advantages in specific applications where liquid scintillators are undesirable.