An alanine–boron compound for thermal neutron fluence measurements. Part 2: EPR response

In a previous paper the synthesis in three different media (acidic, neutral and alkaline) of an alanine–boron compound to be used for thermal neutron fluence measurements was reported. The present work studies the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) signal response of the three preparations to thermal neutron irradiation (φ=5×107 n/cm2s). The following EPR signal parameters of the samples were investigated: peak-to-peak signal intensity vs. thermal neutron fluence Φ=φΔt; where Δt=1, 5, 10, 20, 40, 60, 80, 90, 100, 110 and 120 h, peak-to-peak signal intensity vs. microwave power, signal fading, repeatability, batch homogeneity and zero dose response. It is concluded that these new products could be used in thermal neutron fluence estimations.