Organic (plastic) scintillators consist of a transparent host material (a plastic) doped with a scintillating organic molecule (e.g. POPOP : p-bis [2-(5-phenyloxazolyl)] benzene). Radiation is absorbed by the host material, mostly via Compton effect because of the low density and Z- value of organic materials. Therefore, plastic scintillators are mostly used for the detection of b - and other particles. Furthermore plastic scintillators are mainly used when large detector volumes are required e.g. in security or health physics applications. The cost of large plastic scintillation detectors (per volume) is much lower than that of equivalent size NaI(Tl) detectors; plastic scintillators can be manufactured in meter long slabs.

Physical Properties: