Thermoluminescence Characteristics of Different Types of Natural Marble and the Effect of Annealing Temperatures

Aims: This paper presents preliminary results on the characteristics of different marbles from Libya and Jordan. Several samples were collected and analyzed using thermoluminesence (TL) technique.

Study Design: Study the effect of annealing temperature on the nature and the kinetics of TL trapping centers of natural marble was studied.

Place and Duration of Study: Samples: Department of Physics (Atomic Physics Lab's, The University of Jordan), between June and August 2016.

Methodology: Samples of high purity marble powder were annealed at 400-1100°C/1h. The natural sample revealed one peak at 380, 336, 344 and 364°C in the MLM, MLN, MLT and MLG, respectively, 265°C and high shoulder at 360°C in the MJB and 278, 356,350°C in the MJ-grey, MJG and MJW, respectively.

Results: Our results showed that anneal treatment at 400°C increased the sensitivity of 0.5 Gy radiation-induced TL peaks except for the glow peaks MLT and MLG where they showed significant decrease. On the other hand, annealing in air, at a temperature of 1100°C caused a collapse in the TL sensitivity. The additive computer glow curve de-convolution was used to evaluate the trapping parameters, namely the activation energy (E), order of kinetics (b), frequency factor (s) and lifetime (τ) associated with the dosimetric TL glow peaks of natural marble and annealed at different temperatures with beta irradiation.

Conclusion: Annealing produces changes in the sensitivity of all marble samples to ionizing radiation.