Application potential of Mn2+-doped YAlO3 (YAP) for thermoluminescent (TL) dosimetry of ionizing radiation has been shown previously (see [1] and references therein). For this purpose, one of two types of detectors can be used. The first type produces green emission near 530 nm (caused by Mn2+ ions) in the main TL peak at 200 °C, whereas the second type produces an orange emission around 640 nm in the TL peak near 350 °C.
Main features of the single crystalline YAlO3:Mn2+ detectors are as following: high thermochemical and time stability, high resistance to radiation damage, high sensitivity to ionizing radiation, extremely wide range of linearity (from few mGy up to few kGy), high effective atomic number (Zeff = 31.4) and consequently high energy response, low thermal fading of single crystalline detectors. In such a way the material is a good candidate for wide-range dose measurements, especially when tissue equivalence is not required, as well as for a purpose of the radiation quality determination if used alongside with other low-Z materials.
The Mn-doped YAP mainly in the form of single crystals grown by the Czochralski method has been studied previously. However, an easy, cheap and practical method is preferred for synthesis of an efficient material applicable for TL dosimetry. The solution combustion synthesis is an appropriate method for obtaining of the Mn2+-doped YAP nanoceramic detectors which have thermoluminescent properties comparable with the corresponding single crystalline material [2].
Therefore, the purpose of the present work was to study in details thermoluminescent and main dosimetric properties of YAP:Mn detectors in the form of ceramics prepared from the nanocrystalline material synthesized by the solution combustion method using urea as a fuel. TL response and sensitivity of the studied nanoceramic detectors to various kinds of radiations (gamma, beta and alpha radiation) as well as thermally induced fading of the detectors have been measured and analyzed in comparison with the single crystalline detectors studied previously. The observed differences in thermoluminescent and dosimetric properties of nanoceramic and single crystalline detectors are discussed in terms of peculiarities of the nanoceramic material (optical opacity, grain boundaries etc.).
