Optical characteristics of pure poly (vinyltoluene) for scintillation applications

Advanced refining techniques have enabled the application of high-purity aromatic ring polymers with favourable scintillation characteristics for radiation detection, without requiring doped fluorescent guest molecules. Here, we show the optical characteristics of pure poly (vinyltoluene) (PVT). It has a 285-nm excitation maximum and a 315-nm emission maximum. The effective refractive index is 1.66, which was derived from its emission spectrum. Light yields were determined by irradiation with 137Cs and 207Bi radioactive sources. The light attenuation length is an unexpectedly high 40.5±0.3mm. These results indicate that thick samples of undoped PVT can be used as effective scintillation materials, and will stimulate future applications. •High-purity poly (vinyltoluene) (PVT) is characterised for use in scintillation applications.•PVT has a 285-nm excitation maximum and a 315-nm emission maximum.•An effective refractive index of 1.66 is based on the emission spectrum.•The light attenuation length is an unexpectedly high 40.5±0.3mm.•Thick, undoped PVT substrates are effective scintillation materials.