Investigation Of Radiation Dosimetric Properties Of Natural Minerals

Abstract

Thermoluminescence (TL) is a retrospective dosimetry technique that can be used to quantify the interaction of ionizing radiation with natural and synthetic inorganic materials, among the natural inorganic materials, some natural minerals were employed in TL dosimetry, nuclear accident monitoring and control and food irradiation control. The ability of the material to produce TL emission is dependent on the presence of defects within it, which creates de-localized states between the conduction and valence bands from which the charge carriers can be freed and recombine in the luminescence centers. These defects can be structural (planar, Frenkel, or Schottky) and point (impurities) defects. Also, the modification of the crystalline phase due to temperature and pressure during formation can contribute to the presence of the de-localized states. Thermoluminescent materials are divided into two categories: natural and synthetic materials. The TL dosimetric features of natural materials depending upon their origin, chemical composition, impurity content, and geological history. So, the TL properties of each natural material should be studied separately Among the well-known natural minerals, quartz, feldspar, fluorite, and calcite, the current study was devoted to calcite. Calcite (CaCO3) is a rock-forming mineral and the most stable polymorph (materials have the same chemical composition but different crystal structure) of calcium carbonate, the other form is the aragonite mineral. It is an abundant natural mineral that can be found