An Overview on Preparation and TL Characterization of Lithium Borates for Dosimetric Use

Abstract

Boron that appears in borate form in nature is an essential additive to a variety of industrial products. Recently, certain boron compounds have attracted attention in high technology utilization areas owing to their special crystal and optical characteristics. Thermoluminescent (TL) dosimetry that is used to record amount of radiation exposure is one of such areas. Two borates searched for candidacy in TL dosimetry are lithium tetraborate and lithium triborate. These materials are synthesized and metal doped by numerous researchers to be tested for thermoluminescence response. Lithium tetraborate has aroused interest of scientists since 1960s by the courtesy of the thermoluminescence (TL) property. However, lithium triborate is rather new in this area. This study compromises a broad overview including synthesis methods employed for the production of these two materials. Furthermore, the TL properties that have significant effect on the TL dosimetry potential of a compound are noted along with the detailed information on TL measurement procedure specifications.