Afterglow based detection and dosimetry of beta particle irradiated ZrO₂

In this work, we report on the afterglow (AG) response characterization of commercially available ZrO₂. Pellet shaped samples previously annealed in air at 1000 °C during 24 h were exposed to beta particle irradiation in the dose range from 0.5 up to 128 Gy and their AG decay curves recorded during 600 s after irradiation exposure. The characteristic glow curves of beta particle irradiated ZrO₂ show two maxima located around 80 °C and 150 °C. The first one rapidly vanishes at room temperature, giving rise to AG. The integrated AG signal increases as dose increases from 0.5 to 128 Gy, with a linear dependence from 0.5 up to ca. 32 Gy. Excellent reproducibility of the AG response was observed in 10 irradiation – AG readout cycles, showing that the studied ZrO₂ samples are reusable. The results here presented show that ZrO₂ is a promising material for use as a radiation dosimeter based on the AG phenomenon.