Analysis of Radiation Fusion Shielding Performance of Ytterbium Oxide, a Radiation Impermeable Substance

Abstract

While the shielding substances of radiation shields in medical institutions are beginning to be replaced by environmentally friendly materials, radiation protection according to the shielding properties of environmentally friendly substances is becoming an important factor rather than the existing lead shielding properties. Tungsten and barium sulfate are representative shielding materials similar to lead, and are made in sheets or fiber form with eco-friendly materials. Ytterbium is an impermeable material used as a fluorine compound in the dental radiation field. This study aims to evaluate the shielding performance in the x-ray shielding area by comparing the shielding properties of ytterbium by energy band and that of existing eco-friendly materials. When three types of shielding sheets were fabricated and tested under the same process conditions, the shielding performance of the medical radiation area was about 5 % difference from tungsten. Furthermore, shielding performance was superior to barium sulfate. In the cross-sectional structure of the shielding sheet, there was a disadvantage that the arrangement of particles was not uniform. Ytterbium oxide showed sufficient potential as a medical radiation shielding material, and it is thought that it can improve the shielding performance by controlling the particle arrangement structure and particle size.