Abstract
[Abstract] The feasibility of incorporating neutron absorbing elements into polymer fibers for fabric construction was studied. It was found that enriched 10 B4C can be successfully compounded, extruded and drawn into filled polypropylene fibers. Fibers composed of 20%wt. of boron carbide with the antioxidant additive BHT were woven into a fabric for neutron exposure testing. Tensile data shows that the use of BHT in the processing of polypropylene fibers decreases the degradation and increases the tensile strength. The presence of boron carbide in the polymer slightly decreases both the tensile strength and modulus while increasing the elongation. The dispersion and adhesion of the boron carbide filler particles in the polymer was verified by SEM and optical microscopy. The presence of enriched boron carbide at 20%wt. in 0.8mm (two layers) of fabric decreased the fluence of neutrons by 42%. The neutron shielding ability of a filled fiber woven into a fabric has been verified. A high shielding efficacy can be achieved in thin materials with the use of isotopically enriched elements.
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