Preparation of cerium doped calcium pyrophosphate: Study of luminescent behavior

Thermoluminescent (TL) and photoluminescent (PL) band emissions of cerium doped calcium pyrophosphate (Ca2O7P2:Ce3+) were studied. Wet precipitation method was used to synthesize calcium pyrophosphate, doped with Ce3+ (1.0 at%) impurities, from orthophosphoric acid and calcium acetate, as raw materials. The effect of temperature annealing at 800 and 900 °C was investigated. X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) were used to characterize both as-precipitated and annealed powders samples. The PL emission spectrum of samples annealed at 900 °C displayed characteristics 5d–4f transitions of Ce3+ at 333 nm and 360 nm. TL measurements were carried out on as-precipitated and annealed samples from room temperature (RT) up to 350 °C. The TL results of annealed samples showed complex TL glow curves, a linear response in the absorbed dose range of 0.5–5 Gy and a good reproducibility after 10 cycles of irradiation-readout. The complex TL glow curves of annealed samples were analyzed by the methods of Tmax–TStop, Initial Rise (IR) and Computational Glow-Curve Deconvolution (CGCD) assuming a General Order Kinetic (GOK).