Novel non-thermoluminescent CaSO₄:Dy dosimeters

The non-thermoluminescence afterglow-based dosimetry performance of self-agglomerating pellet-shaped CaSO₄:Dy phosphors synthesized through a low-cost, environmentally friendly method is first reported. Thermoluminescence (TL) and afterglow (AG) were analyzed in samples exposed to beta particle irradiation in the dose range from 0.06 to 8.0 Gy. Characteristic TL glow curves consist of an intense TL maximum at 134 °C, a shoulder at 200 °C, and a maximum at 447 °C. CaSO₄:Dy exhibits a highly sensitive AG response for 24 h with linear behavior from 0.06 Gy to 8.0 Gy. A remarkable reproducibility of both the TL and the AG response was observed in repeated irradiation-readout cycles with no need for pre-irradiation annealing. The synthesized CaSO₄:Dy exhibits promising properties to be used as an AG-based dosimeter for real-time radiation detection and dosimetry. Moreover, this phosphor might be applied as a long persistent phosphor (LPP), being a cost-effective alternative to other available LPPs.