Effect of heat treatment and gamma irradiation on TL emission sensitivity of blue quartz crystal

Abstract

The combined effect of heat treatment and irradiation on the thermoluminescent response of natural blue quartz was studied. Samples were subjected to different heat treatment temperatures, pre-dose doses, and thermal activation temperatures to sensitize the Thermoluminescence (TL) response of blue quartz. Blue quartz pellets produced by sintering at 1200 °C were sensitized with a combination of different pre-doses and thermal activation temperatures. It was found that the maximum TL intensity occurred for a pre-dose of 500 Gy and a thermal activation temperature of 550 °C, resulting in a dosimetric peak with a TL signal 150 times more intense than the initial one. The kinetic parameters of the TL glow curve of the sensitized pellets were analyzed by the methods of different heating rates, Tm-Tstop, and deconvolution. The dosimetric properties of the sensitized blue quartz pellets were also evaluated using the 220 °C TL peak.