Attenuation Measurements in Solutions of Some Carbohydrates

The linear attenuation coefficients in aqueous solutions of three carbohydrates, glucose (C₆H₁₂O₆), maltose monohydrate (C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁H₂O), and sucrose (C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁), were determined at 81, 356, 511, 662, 1173, and 1332 keV by the gamma-ray transmission method in a good geometry setup. From the precisely measured densities of these solutions, mass attenuation coefficients were then obtained that varied systematically with the corresponding changes in the concentrations (g/cm³) of these solutions. The experimental results were used in terms of effective atomic numbers and electron densities. A comparison between experimental and theoretical values of attenuation coefficients has proven that the study has a potential application for the determination of attenuation coefficients of solid solutes from their solutions without obtaining them in pure crystalline form.