Preparation of PVA Fricke gel dosimeters and survey of concentration and maintenance condition effects on its response

A survey of effective factors on the response of a Fricke gel dosimeter leads to an optimum sample dosimeter with better sensitivity and lower fading in dosimetric applications. In this research, samples of PVA Fricke gel dosimeters were prepared with different concentration of the constituents. Samples was irradiated upto 60 Gy with a gammacell. Measurement of the samples with a spectrophotometer showed 10% PVA, atomic mass of 72000, 25 mM sulphuric acid, 0.5 mM ferrous ammonium sulphate, 0.165 mM xylenol orange, 1% glutaraldehyde and ultrapure water has more sensitivity. In addition, this composition provides a more extensive range of linear responses. Preparation of the suggested dosimeter in several groups and maintenance at different conditions, before and after irradiation, showed the samples maintained in dark and refrigerator were stable for up to 10 days, whereas the samples maintained in other conditions lost their stability and started to fade.