COMPARISON OF PADC NEUTRON DETECTORS FROM DIFFERENT SUPPLIERS

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Science and Engineering
• Radiation Detection and Measurement
• Materials Science

Background:

• Poly-allyl diglycol carbonate (PADC) track detectors are crucial for passive personal neutron dosimetry.
• Current methods involve coupling PADC with radiators to detect secondary charged particles for dose estimation via track density or linear energy transfer (LET).
• The original PADC supplier ceased production, necessitating evaluation of alternative materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare poly-allyl diglycol carbonate (PADC) track detectors from different manufacturers.
• To assess the suitability of alternative PADC materials for linear energy transfer (LET) spectrometry and neutron dosimetry.
• To validate reading procedures at Politecnico di Milano and Paul Scherrer Institute using new PADC batches.

Main Methods:

• Characterization of PADC detectors from multiple suppliers.
• Evaluation of LET spectrometric capabilities.
• Assessment of neutron sensitivity and comparison with previously characterized Intercast PADC.

Main Results:

• Established comparability of PADC detectors from different suppliers for neutron dosimetry applications.
• Validated the performance of alternative PADC materials against the previously used standard.
• Demonstrated consistency in reading procedures across different institutions.

Conclusions:

• Alternative PADC suppliers provide suitable materials for neutron dosimetry and LET spectrometry.
• The findings ensure continuity in personal neutron dosimetry using PADC detectors.
• Standardized reading protocols are confirmed effective across different research institutes.