Polystyrene
From Detec-Rad.com
Scintillators based on polystyrene are used to detect alpha, beta, gamma radiation and fast neutrons. Plastic scintillators are prepared by bulk polymerization in aluminium (size up to 3.5 m) or glass cast and by pressure molding technique.
The following products are available :
- fast plastic scintillation material: decay time from 0.9 to 0.5 ns, light output 55 % of anthracene ;
- plastic scintillation material having the slow decay component: decay time from 300 to 400 ns, light output 45 % of anthracene;
- radiation hard plastics (PS-92RH)
- scintillation material for dosimetry, tissue equivalent.
- scintillation polystyrene containing soluted organic compounds of heavy elements (Pb -12%, Sn -10%).
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Technical sheet
The following table displays technical characteristics of some of our plastic materials. Please ask for special specifications you are looking for.
| Properties | PS-923A | PS-923D | PS-91F | PS-92S | PS-98GS |
| Light output (% anthracene) | 56 | 56 | 39-45 | 44 | 57 |
| Rise time (ns) | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.9 |
| Decay time (ns) | 3.3 | 3.3 | 1.8 | 250-450 | 3.3 |
| Bulk attenuation length (BAL) (cm)* | 250-450 | 350-550 | - | 150-180 | 150-250 |
| Technical attenuation length (TAL) (cm)** | 150-250 | 200-300 | - | 150-180 | 150-250 |
| Wavelength of max. emission (nm) | 418 | 418 | 390 | 380 | 418 |
| Max. size (length) (m) | 3.5 | 3.5 | 1 | 1 | 2.5 |
| Refractive index | 1.52 | 1.52 | 1.52 | ||
| Absorption coefficient (cm-1) | 0.002 - 0.005 | 0.002 - 0.005 | 0.002 - 0.005 | ||
| Softening temperature (K) | 355 - 360 | 355 - 360 | 355 - 360 | ||
| Hygroscopic | no | no | no | ||
| Number of H Atoms (1022.cm-3) | 4.91 | 4.91 | 4.91 | ||
| Number of C Atoms (1022.cm-3) | 4.91 | 4.91 | 4.91 | ||
| Number of electrons (1023.cm-3) | 3.44 | 3.44 | 3.44 | ||
| Principal users/ applications | General purpose | General purpose | Fast counting | Phoswich detectors for dE/dx studies | Tiles and bars for particle calorimetry |
| Important property | High light yield, high transparency, large size. | High light yield, high transparency, large size. High surface and technical attenuation length. | Short decay time | Long decay time | Perfect glass surface |
| Technology | Bulk thermal polymerization.
Machining with hard faced instrument. | Bulk thermal polymerization.
Machining with diamante instrument. | Bulk thermal polymerization | Bulk thermal polymerization | Glass mold casting |
| Analogs | BC-408, BC-416 | BC-408, BC-416 | BC-404 | BC-444 | BC-408, SCSN-81T |
| Properties (continued) | PS-02E | PS-96M | PS-99TE | PS-974 | PS-99RH |
| Light output (% anthracene) | 55 | 55 | 45 | 53 | 46 |
| Rise time (ns) | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.9 |
| Decay time (ns) | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.3 | - | 3.5 |
| Bulk attenuation length (BAL) (cm)* | 30-60 | 30-60 | 70-100 | 250-400 | 110 |
| Technical attenuation length (TAL) (cm)** | 30-60 | 30-60 | 70-100 | 250-400 | 110 |
| Wavelength of max. emission (nm) | 418 | 418 | 425 | 480* | 418 |
| Max. size (length) (m) | 0.44 | 0.44 | 0.05 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Refractive index | 1.52 | 1.52 | |||
| Absorption coefficient (cm-1) | 0.002 - 0.005 | 0.002 - 0.005 | |||
| Softening temperature (K) | 355 - 360 | 355 - 360 | |||
| Hygroscopic | no | no | |||
| Number of H Atoms (1022.cm-3) | 4.91 | 4.91 | |||
| Number of C Atoms (1022.cm-3) | 4.91 | 4.91 | |||
| Number of electrons (1023.cm-3) | 3.44 | 3.44 | |||
| Principal users/ applications | Particle calorimetry, strips for neutrino detectors | Tiles for particle calorimetry | X-ray dosimetry | Green emitting scintillator, operation with fiber shifters | Particle calorimetry, operation under high radiation dose impact |
| Important property | Economy | Economy | Tissue equivalent | Green emitting | High radiation hardness |
| Technology | Extrusion | Injection molding | Bulk thermal polymerization | Bulk thermal polymerization | Bulk thermal polymerization |
| Analogs | PolHiTech | PSM-115 | BC-470 | BC-428 | BC-408, SCSN-81T |
*: typical e-1 attenuation length of 200 cm length sample with edges polished as measured with He - Cd laser at 441 nm wavelength.
**: typical e-1 attenuation length of 1x20x200 cm length sample with all polished side as measured with Sr-90.
