Enhanced characteristics of 3D-Printed plastic scintillators based on bisphenol fluorene diacrylates

Abstract

Three types of acrylates with the fluorenyl group were selected for the purpose of enhancing 3D-printed plastic scintillators. The mechanical and optical characteristics of all the selected monomers were investigated, and optical absorbance and band gap energy were measured and compared to the standard monomers of styrene, PMMA, and vinyltolune. By measurement of light output for the 3D-printed plastic scintillators, an increase in light output correlating with an increase in the number of benzene rings per molecule weight was observed in the results of all the selected acrylates. The analysis of Raman spectroscopy revealed a linear dependence (R-2 = 0.9599) of light output on the Raman intensities at 3070 cm(-1). In the use of ethoxylated bisphenol fluorene diacrylate (OPPEA 40%), the best mechanical and optical performance of the 3D-printed plastic scintillator was found to 72% transmission, maximum emission wavelength 470 nm, hardness 84 Shore-D, and light output 5300 photons/MeV.