FAQ - Optical Coupling Medium

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Richard Hester
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FAQ - Optical Coupling Medium

Post by Richard Hester »

A Few Options for Coupling a Scintillator to a PMT:

1) Use Dow Corning Sylgard 184 two-part silicone resin. The cured resin is clear out to the UV, and doubles as a glue to hold the scintillator in place. Obviously, there will be no creep problem when it sets. This is what I use to put scintillation probes together. As a bonus, you can use this stuff, some ZnS(Ag) phosphor, and a hunk of lucite/perspex/plexiglas to make a servicable fast neutron scintillator. Check out the pics section for a photo of one...

2) "Pocket Pond" Silicone Gel - This is a water-clear, extremely viscous silicone gel sold at pocketscope.com. For a reasonable price, you get about 1 fluid ounce, enough for all the scintillation probes one would care to make.

2) Model Car Silicone Differential Fluid - A seller on Ebay offers Mugen Silicone fluid for model car differentials. The thickness you want is the 100000 (five zeros!) weight. It is extremely viscous, so there will be less of a problem keeping it in place between scintillator and PMT.

3) Silicone Vacuum Grease - This stuff is usable as a last resort. It is translucent, but if used properly (an extremely thin layer), any scattering due to the turbidity will be offset by the decreased interface loss between PMT and scintillator.
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Richard Hull
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Re: Optical Coupling Medium

Post by Richard Hull »

I have taken the liberty of editing Richard Hesters post, (title only), to become a FAQ. The data is very useful and should wind up as "searchable" under FAQ.

Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
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Dave Xanatos
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Re: FAQ - Optical Coupling Medium

Post by Dave Xanatos »

FYI PocketScope.com ("Pocket Pond" Silicone Gel) is gone, replaced by a domain parking click bait page.
It would take decades of work, by thousands of scientists, in a particle accelerator powered by dump trucks of flaming grant money! - Professor Farnsworth/FUTURAMA
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Richard Hull
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Re: FAQ - Optical Coupling Medium

Post by Richard Hull »

Good ole internet! Great ....worthless...ephemeral. Everything to everyone maybe, hopefully, for a while, for sure..... And...You can take that to the bank!

Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
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Dave Xanatos
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Re: FAQ - Optical Coupling Medium

Post by Dave Xanatos »

Well, for what it's worth... this site is updated now and I have ordered the Dow Sylgard 184... enough to make about 1,000 neutron scintillation detectors. Maybe the next guy to view this post can make me an offer on my massive wad of two-part silicone resin... :)

Dave
It would take decades of work, by thousands of scientists, in a particle accelerator powered by dump trucks of flaming grant money! - Professor Farnsworth/FUTURAMA
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Richard Hull
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Re: FAQ - Optical Coupling Medium

Post by Richard Hull »

Same thing across the board on most interesting and desparately needed stuff. The normal response from many sellers of scientifically critical materials is... "Don't ask us for a few grams if you aren't ready to buy a kilogram". Don't feel slighted, it is the norm.

Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
Jerry Biehler
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Re: FAQ - Optical Coupling Medium

Post by Jerry Biehler »

I use Super O Lube for the scintillator on my SEM: http://www.skygeek.com/parker-super-lub ... ls%2BItems
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