Thermal Effect on TL Response of Single Doped LiF+NaF:RE Polycrystalline Phosphors

In this work, the sintering and annealing effects on the thermoluminescent (TL) behavior of undoped and rare earth (RE)-doped LiF+NaF powder samples (RE = Ce3+, Eu3+, Lu3+ or Tl+, at 0.5 mol%) was analyzed by evaluating the sensitivity to gamma radiation and TL response of the material. The polycrystalline samples were obtained by solid state reaction at 1000°C. The samples were irradiated in a Gammacell-3000 Elan irradiator loaded with 137Cs sources. The glow curves of the LiF+NaF doped with lutetium or thallium show an intense glow peak at about 175°C and 135°C, respectively. When the phosphor was doped with cerium or europium the glow curves were complex in their structure, with TL peaks observed at 155°C and 165°C, respectively. The linear dose-response was between 10 and 50 Gy for cerium, europium or lutetium doped LiF+NaF samples, while for the thallium doped and undoped samples such intervals were 10-100 Gy and 10-500 Gy, respectively. Because the shape of the glow curves were complex, the analysis was carried out in (i) samples without a sintering treatment where the TL response was found insensitive to pre-irradiation annealing treatment, and (ii) sintered samples (300, 350, 400 or 500 °C), in this last case the TL response was dependent on the annealing temperature (100-400 °C), finally (iii) the kinetics parameters of the glow curves were analyzed by assuming a general order kinetics model. The observed glow curves and TL characteristics of the LiF+NaF:RE phosphor make attractive this material to be useful in gamma dose dosimetry.