Detecting fast and thermal neutrons with a boron loaded liquid scintillator, EJ-339A

A commercial boron-loaded liquid scintillator EJ-339 A was studied, using a 252Cf source with/without polyethylene moderator, to examine the possibility of discriminating slow-neutron induced events in 10B from fast-neutron events, resulting from proton recoils, and gamma-ray events. Despite the strong light quenching associated with neutron induced events in 10B, correct classification of these events is shown to be possible with the aid of digital signal processing. •Pulse shape neutron-gamma discrimination studies with an EJ-399A detector.•Study of neutron-induced events in 10B and the associated light quenching.•Study of “capture gated events” to characterize the signature of the thermal neutron events.•Identification of the thermal neutron events.•Study of effect of the shielding of a neutron source on the thermal/fast neutron ratio.