Scintillation and thermoluminescence properties of transparent glass-ceramics containing Sr0.5Ba0.5Nb2O6 nanocrystallites

Abstract We have investigated scintillation and thermoluminescence properties of the 20SrO-20BaO-40Nb2O5-20P2O5 (SBNP) glass and glass-ceramics containing Sr0.5Ba0.5Nb2O6 crystallites. The SBNP glasses were prepared by a conventional melt-quenching method. The obtained glasses were annealed at various temperatures and holding times for nucleation and growth of nanocrystallites. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that samples were either glass or glass-ceramic containing Sr0.5Ba0.5Nb2O6 nanocrystallites, and heat treatments at higher temperatures and longer holding times have promoted the crystallization. Furthermore, radioluminescence and TL intensities were higher for the glass-ceramics than glass; thus, efficient luminescence can be yielded in glass-ceramics.