Scintillator, radiation detector, and method for detecting radiation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9920243-B2
Application number	US-201214009047-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2012
Priority date	Apr 4, 2011
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

The present invention aims at providing a scintillator for high temperature environments which has satisfactory light emission characteristics under high temperature environments; and a method for measuring radiation under high temperature environments. The scintillator for high temperature environments comprises a colquiriite-type crystal represented by the chemical formula LiM 1 M 2 X 6 (where M 1 is at least one alkaline earth metal element selected from Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba, M 2 is at least one metal element selected from Al, Ga and Sc, and X is at least one halogen element selected from F, Cl, Br and I), for example, typified by LiCaAlF 6 , and the crystal optionally containing a lanthanoid element such as Ce or Eu. The method for measuring radiation under high temperature environments uses the scintillator.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for detecting radiation by scintillation, comprising:
entering radiation, at a high temperature of not lower than 100° C., into a scintillator, the scintillator comprising a colquiriite-type crystal represented by the following chemical formula:
LiM 1 M 2 X 6

wherein M 1 represents at least one alkaline earth metal element selected from the group consisting of magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), strontium (St) and barium (Ba), M 2 represents at least one metal element selected from the group consisting of aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga) and scandium (Sc), and X represents at least one halogen element selected from the group consisting of fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br) and iodine (I),

to emit fluorescence; and
detecting the fluorescence by a photodetector.

2. The method for detecting radiation by scintillation according to claim 1 , wherein the radiation is a ray of neutrons.

3. The method for detecting radiation by scintillation according to claim 1 , wherein the colquiriite-type crystal is represented by the chemical formula LiCaAlF 6 .

4. The method for detecting radiation by scintillation according to claim 1 , wherein the colquiriite-type crystal contains at least one lanthanoid element selected from the group consisting of cerium (Ce), praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd), samarium (Sm), europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), terbium (Tb), dysprosium (Dy), holmium (Ho), erbium (Er), thulium (Tm) and ytterbium (Yb).

5. The method for detecting radiation by scintillation according to claim 4 , wherein the lanthanoid element is Ce or Eu.

6. The method for detecting radiation by scintillation according to claim 1 , wherein the scintillator has an isotopic ratio of 6 Li of 20% or more, and is used for detection of neutrons.

Assignees

• Fukuda Kentaro
• Kawaguchi Noriaki
• Yoshikawa Akira
• Yanagida Takayuki
• Yokota Yui
• Tokuyama Corp
• Univ Tohoku

Inventors

• Fukuda Kentaro
• Kawaguchi Noriaki
• Yoshikawa Akira
• Yanagida Takayuki
• Yokota Yui

Classifications

• G21K4/00

  Conversion screens for the conversion of the spatial distribution of X-rays or particle radiation into visible images, e.g. fluoroscopic screens (photographic processes using X-ray intensifiers G03C5/17; discharge tubes comprising luminescent screens H01J1/62; cathode ray tubes for X-ray conversion with optical output H01J31/50) · CPC title

• C09K11/772

  with alkali or alkaline earth metals · CPC title

• C09K11/7733 Primary

  with alkali or alkaline earth metals · CPC title

• G01T1/2023

  Selection of materials · CPC title

• C09K11/7732

  Halogenides · CPC title