A Comprehensive study on the γ-ray shielding performance of Al–Cu–PbO alloy: Experimental and simulation studies

Abstract

The importance of radiation shielding is increasing due to the expanding areas exposed to radiation emissions. As a result, there is a crucial need to develop metal alloys and composites that demonstrate exceptional capabilities in absorbing neutron and gamma rays for effective radiation protection. The major purpose of this study is to determine the gamma photon attenuation coefficients of several Al–Cu–PbO alloys for radiation detection applications. The transmission geometry technique was used to calculate experimental mass attenuation coefficients at photon energies ranging from 0.662 to 1.33 MeV. To corroborate the experimental results, the mass attenuation coefficients for the alloys under consideration were calculated and confirmed by simulation using the MCNP5 method. The study analyzes the possibility of these alloys as alternative materials for nuclear radiation shielding applications.