Problem:
Traditional plastic scintillators capable of pulse shape discrimination (PSD) are based on thermoplastics. This limits their potential applications.
Hypothesis:
Polysiloxanes with high phenyl content may provide an elastomeric matrix for PSD capable plastic scintillators, meeting requirements for flexible applications.
Summary of Results:
Traditional plastic scintillators capable of pulse shape discrimination (PSD) are based on thermoplastics. This limits their potential applications.
Hypothesis:
Polysiloxanes with high phenyl content may provide an elastomeric matrix for PSD capable plastic scintillators, meeting requirements for flexible applications.
Summary of Results:
- A high phenyl content polysiloxane matrix was identified from Wacker.
- A commercial and synthesized dopant were loaded up to 5 wt% .
- Even at low dopant loadings, polysiloxane scintillators performed as well or better than traditional analogs. This is the first time polysiloxanes, or any other polymer, has been shown to have comparable PSD to polystyrene or poly(vinyl toluene).
