Use of crude oil light hydrocarbon fractions as scintillators in radioactive counting

The best solvents for liquid scintillation are aromatic compounds, Xylene, Toluene, Benzene, etc., pure or mixed, due to their high performance in the detection of low energy β particles. This is the basic principle of Liquid Scintillation Counting. The present paper studies different solvents obtained by concentrations of platinum reformed naphthas. The proposed solvent has a high aromatic concentration and adequate transparency to avoid chemical quenching, especially in wave lengths of about 400 nm. A proper IBP avoids the evaporation during handling and the absence of chemical components such as ketones, aldehydes, bases, acids halogenated hydrocarbons and water, allowing the application of the solvent in the formulation of scintillators with an overall efficiency of 32% for Tritium (3H) and 70.2% for Carbon 14 (14C). The solvent may be used in the treatment of non-aqueous organic samples with satisfactory results and more economical in comparison with other commercial products. This product was successfully tested in nuclear and health research institutions with experience in this matter.