PLASTIC SCINTILLATOR MATERIALS, PLASTIC SCINTILLATORS COMPRISING SUCH MATERIALS AND METHOD FOR DISTINGUISHING NEUTRONS FROM GAMMA RAYS USING SAID SCINTILLATORS

摘要

A plastic scintillator material comprising a polymer matrix in which there is incorporated at least one fluorescent compound having a mass concentration greater than equal to 10% by mass of the total mass of the material, in which the polymer matrix consists of a crosslinked polymer likely to be obtained by polymerisation of a mixture comprising at least one aromatic monomer and at least one monomer acting as crosslinking agent chosen from alkyl diacrylates, alkyl dimethacrylates, and the mixtures thereof, the molar proportions of the monomer acting as crosslinking agent and the aromatic monomer in the mixture being 10% to 50% and 90% to 50% respectively. A plastic scintillator prepared by shaping said material. A method for distinguishing between a signal caused by fast neutrons, optionally a signal caused by thermal neutrons, and a signal caused by gamma rays in radiation comprising fast neutrons, optionally thermal neutrons, and gamma rays emitted by a mixed source, which involves exposing the plastic scintillator to said radiation emitted by the mixed source and separating the signal caused by fast neutrons from the signal caused by gamma rays, and optionally from the signal caused by thermal neutrons by Pulse Shape Discrimination (PSD).