Abstract
In mid-1967, a flexible rubber finger ring utilizing a lozenge-shaped wafer of 7LiF in a Teflon matrix was introduced for routine hand dosimetry at Hanford. The thermoluminescence ring dosimeter provided a significant improvement over previously used film dosimeters, having a useful range of 0.02, to 105 R with a standard deviation of ±10%, minimal energy dependence, and resistance to the environment. Subsequently, a basic dosimeter with a range of 0.02 to 105 R was introduced for personnel who do not routinely work with ionizing radiation. This dosimeter utilizes a single 7LiF block—3.2 × 3.2 × 0.9 mm—for routine readout and an 8-mm-diameter 7LiF-Teflon disk as backup, sealed in an individually identified card. Precision was excellent, with a standard deviation of 7.5% at 90 mR. A more sophisticated dosimeter, which will provide dose data for photons and betas as well as neutrons, is in the final stages of development. Also, a fully automated readout system now under development will permit interpretation with a minimum of time and manual input. A low-level environmental dosimeter and miscellaneous field applications are discussed.