The Use of Polycarbonate as Dosimeter of High Doses

Abstract

Dosimetry of high doses of ionizing radiation is a method widely used not only in the field of basic and applied research but also in various industries. High-dose irradiation is used in the sterilization of foodstuffs and prolongation of their shelf life, sterilization of tools, materials and wastewater, treatment of antiquities attacked by woodworm organisms, biological and genetic research, inhibition of seed germination and retardation of fruit ripening. Furthermore, it has been applied in radiation resistance testing of materials, defectoscopy, industrial irradiation of materials (e.g. crosslinking and grafting of polymers or gemstone coloring by ionizing radiation), and last but not least, of course, nuclear energetics. In this work the dosimetric properties of polycarbonate are studied. They are compared with a standardized and certified method using alanine dosimeters. In the case of gammas the testing was realized for 60Co and neutron radiation was studied in the research nuclear reactor LVR-15.

Handling of radioactive materials prior to analysis by X-ray powder diffraction

“…Therefore, the handling and milling of radioactive materials (e.g. minerals-rocks, concrete) is carried inside of a hermetically sealed shielded glovebox under negative pressure [3]. Milling in ethanol of the bulk material was performed using an oscillating ball mill, producing a fine powder (after air-drying) with an average particle size of 4 microns, "wet" milling offers the advantage to produce a powder with an homogeneous size distribution and also to avoid the dispersion of the radioactive dust into the air.…”