Abstract
In the field of medical radiation shielding, there is an extensive body of research on process technologies for ecofriendly shielding materials that could replace lead. In particular, the particle size and arrangement of the shielding material when blended with a polymer material affect shielding performance. In this study, we observed how the particle size of the shielding material affects shielding performance. Performance and particle structure were observed for every shielding sheet, which were fabricated by mixing microparticles and nanoparticles with a polymer material using the same process. We observed that the smaller the particle size was, the higher both the clustering and shielding effects in the high-energy region. Thus, shielding performance can be improved. In the low-dose region, the effect of particle size on shielding performance was insignificant. Moreover, the shielding sheet in which nanoparticles and microsized particles were mixed showed similar performance to that of the shielding sheet containing only microsized particles. Findings indicate that, when fabricating a shielding sheet using a polymer material, the smaller the particles in the high-energy region are, the better the shielding performance is. However, in the low-energy region, the effect of the particles is insignificant.
Highlights
In the medical field, radiation is the most important tool for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, and it is developing into a specialization
This study demonstrates the mixing effect of the shielding-material particle size through experimentation, and improves the fabrication process for shielding sheets used in medical institutions
The photoelectric effect is a phenomenon in which incidental photons interact with shielding particles and transfer the total energy of the photons to internal electrons, and internal electrons collide with surrounding atoms, causing scattering [36,37]
Summary
Radiation is the most important tool for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, and it is developing into a specialization. Exposure to medical radiation occurs at low doses and only in some parts of the body. Owing to the inadequate protection and carelessness of medical workers, the amount of exposure increases [5]. The medical radiation-exposure level is primarily determined by secondary scattered radiation, which is known as a low-dose region. Attempts were made to reduce the exposure of medical workers to low-dose radiation while ensuring safety with a lightweight shielding suit [7,8,9]. Shielding clothing in medical institutions is made primarily of lead; because of issues such as the weight of lead, its toxic potential, manufacturing contaminations, and disposal costs, interest in developing a shield using ecofriendly materials is rising [10,11]. The most common ecofriendly radiation-shielding materials include tungsten, bismuth, barium sulfate, tin, and antimony [12,13]
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