Long-term neutron dose fading study of LiF: Mg,Cu,P TLD

An extensive study of neutron dose fading in LiF:Mg,Cu,P thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD) using commercially-available dosimeters and equipment for their processing was undertaken. During the 52 week study, three thousand TLDs were stored for various lengths of time before and after being exposed to a plutonium beryllium radiation source. The TLDs were subsequently processed and the resulting doses were compared to the reference exposure. Both a loss of signal and a loss of sensitivity were evaluated. The results of this study have shown that the commercially produced LiF:Mg,Cu,P TLD has no statistically significant change in sensitivity or change in signal with up to 52 weeks of pre-irradiation or post-irradiation time. The results of this study will provide the technical basis for increasing the exposure record accuracy, and extending the usable lifetime of dosimeters.