Plastic scintillating fiber and its manufacturing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023384466-A1
Application number	US-202118032090-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 1, 2021
Priority date	Oct 15, 2020
Publication date	Nov 30, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A plastic scintillating fiber includes: a core containing a transparent resin having scintillating properties and at least one type of fluorescent substance that absorbs the scintillation light and converts the absorbed light into light having a wavelength longer than that of the absorbed light; a cladding layer covering an outer peripheral surface of the core and having a refractive index lower than that of the core; and an outermost peripheral layer covering an outer peripheral surface of the cladding layer and containing a compound of a heavy metal element. The core, the cladding layer, and the outermost peripheral layer are integrally formed.

First claim

1 . A plastic scintillating fiber, comprising:
a core containing a transparent resin having scintillating properties and at least one type of fluorescent substance that absorbs scintillation light generated from the transparent resin and converts the absorbed light into light having a wavelength longer than that of the absorbed light; a cladding layer covering an outer peripheral surface of the core and having a refractive index lower than that of the core; and an outermost peripheral layer covering the outer peripheral surface of the cladding layer and containing a compound of a heavy metal element, wherein the core, the cladding layer, and the outermost peripheral layer are integrally formed.

2 . The plastic scintillating fiber according to claim 1 , wherein the outermost peripheral layer contains a resin having scintillating properties.

3 . The plastic scintillating fiber according to claim 2 , wherein the outermost peripheral layer contains at least one type of fluorescent substance that absorbs scintillation light generated from the resin having scintillating properties and wavelength-converts the absorbed light into light having a wavelength longer than that of the absorbed light.

4 . The plastic scintillating fiber according to claim 1 , wherein the heavy metal element is lead.

5 . The plastic scintillating fiber according to claim 1 , wherein the heavy metal element is bismuth.

6 . The plastic scintillating fiber according to claim 2 , wherein in the outermost peripheral layer, the compound of a heavy metal element is copolymerized with the resin having scintillating properties.

7 . The plastic scintillating fiber according to claim 1 , wherein the core, the cladding layer, and the outermost peripheral layer are integrally formed by a drawing process.

8 . The plastic scintillating fiber according to claim 1 , wherein outside the outermost peripheral layer, a protective layer that protects the outermost peripheral layer is integrally formed.

9 . The plastic scintillating fiber according to claim 1 , wherein the cladding layer has a multi-cladding structure comprising:
an inner cladding layer; and an outer cladding layer covering an outer peripheral surface of the inner cladding layer and having a refractive index lower than that of the inner cladding layer.

10 . The plastic scintillating fiber according to claim 1 , comprising a reflective layer outside the outermost peripheral layer or the protective layer.

11 . The plastic scintillating fiber according to claim 10 , wherein the reflective layer is a metal film.

12 . A method for manufacturing a plastic scintillating fiber, the fiber comprising:
a core containing a transparent resin having scintillating properties and at least one type of fluorescent substance that absorbs scintillation light generated from the transparent resin and converts the absorbed light into light having a wavelength longer than that of the absorbed light; a cladding layer covering an outer peripheral surface of the core and having a refractive index lower than that of the core; and an outermost peripheral layer covering an outer peripheral surface of the cladding layer and containing a compound of a heavy metal element, and the method comprising: a process of manufacturing a preform by inserting a second cylindrical body for the cladding layer into a first cylindrical body for the outermost peripheral layer, and inserting a rod for the core into the second cylindrical body; and a process of drawing the preform while heating the preform.

13 . A method for manufacturing a plastic scintillating fiber, the fiber comprising:
a core containing a transparent resin having scintillating properties and at least one type of fluorescent substance that absorbs scintillation light generated from the transparent resin and converts the absorbed light into light having a wavelength longer than that of the absorbed light; a cladding layer covering an outer peripheral surface of the core and having a refractive index lower than that of the core; and an outermost peripheral layer covering the outer peripheral surface of the cladding layer and containing a compound of a heavy metal element, the method comprising:
coating the outermost peripheral layer on a surface of the cladding layer covering the core.

Assignees

• Kuraray Co

Inventors

• Fujita Katsuhiro
• Hashizume Toru

Classifications

• G02B6/4403

  with ribbon structure (G02B6/4429, G02B6/4439, G02B6/4479 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/102

  for infrared and ultraviolet radiation · CPC title

• G01T1/201 Primary

  using scintillating fibres · CPC title

• G02B6/03616

  Optical fibres characterised both by the number of different refractive index layers around the central core segment, i.e. around the innermost high index core layer, and their relative refractive index difference · CPC title

• G02B6/036

  core or cladding comprising multiple layers {(multicore optical fibres G02B6/02042; microstructured properties G02B6/02295; omniguide fibres G02B6/023)} · CPC title