Eu<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf> doped silicoborate glasses for scintillation material application: Luminescence ability and X-ray imaging

Abstract

The glass samples were prepared by melt quenching method and changing Eu2O3 concentrations following component of xEu2O3 - 40Na2O - 7.5Gd2O3 - 5SiO2 - (47.5-x)B2O3 (x = 0, 1, 2, 3 mol %). Density and molar volume tend to increase with increasing Eu2O3 concentrations, corresponding to the larger non-bridging oxygen. Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) results point out that the majority BO3 borate group. The absorption spectra were represented in the length of UV-Vis and NIR region. The phonon energy of 3Eu:7.5Gd was 1280.54 cm−1, related to the borate glass host. The photoluminescence and X-ray-induced luminescence spectra of 3Eu:7.5Gd glass showed similar highest intensity at 613 nm (5D0→7F2). The photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 3Eu:7.5Gd glass shows the highest value at 85.70 %. The scintillation efficiency of 3Eu:7.5Gd glass was 17.51 % of bismuth germanate (BGO) crystal. The decay time owing to Eu3+ emission is 2.054 ms for 2Eu:7.5Gd glass. The highest energy transfer efficiency was 2 mol % of Eu2O3 concentrations (ηET = 70 %). The CIE chromaticity coordinates of the glasses are placed in the reddish-orange area (0.65, 0.35). The spatial resolution of X-ray imaging study was 10 lp/mm. These results suggest that 3 mol % of Eu2O3 doped silicoborate glass is capable of being a scintillator applied in the X-ray imaging system.