DetectionDTRA awards British university $1.1 million for improved radiation detectors

Published 12 March 2018

The University of Surrey has been awarded $1.1 million by the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) to research new types of nanomaterials that produce high efficiency radiation detectors for use in nuclear security. The project will develop materials that are used as highly sensitive radiation detectors.

The University of Surrey has been awarded $1.1 million by the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) to research new types of nanomaterials that produce high efficiency radiation detectors for use in nuclear security.

Surrey says that the project will develop materials that are used as highly sensitive radiation detectors. The team from Surrey will be working on this five-year project to develop a new class of materials called nanocomposite organic scintillators. These materials have the potential to be used in next generation radiation detectors thanks to their high light yields and sensitivity to nuclear radiation.

The Surrey team, led by Professor Paul Sellin and in collaboration with Professor Stephen Sweeney and Dr. Carol Crean, aims to develop a deeper understanding of these new and exciting materials. The project is also in collaboration with Kromek Plc.

Professor Sellin said: “This is an exciting opportunity for myself and the team here at Surrey to develop these new nanocomposite materials, which have the potential to be used as highly sensitive nuclear detectors.”