Attenuation Measurements in Solutions of Some Carbohydrates

The linear attenuation coefficients in aqueous solutions of three carbohydrates, glucose (C6H12O6), maltose monohydrate (C12H22O11H2O), and sucrose (C12H22O11), were determined at 81, 356, 511, 662, 1173, and 1332 keV by the gamma-ray transmission method in a good geometry setup. From the precisely measured densities of these solutions, mass attenuation coefficients were then obtained that varied systematically with the corresponding changes in the concentrations (g/cm3) of these solutions. The experimental results were used in terms of effective atomic numbers and electron densities. A comparison between experimental and theoretical values of attenuation coefficients has proven that the study has a potential application for the determination of attenuation coefficients of solid solutes from their solutions without obtaining them in pure crystalline form.