Development and Design Mix of Radiation Shielding Concrete for Gamma-ray Shielding

Abstract

For the first time in the world the development and design mix of radiation shielding concrete using innovative red mud based synthetic shielding aggregates has been reported. The developed shielding aggregates are made up of red mud and are basically ceramic materials consisting of shielding phases namely barium silicate (sanbornite), barium iron titanium silicate (bafertisite), barium aluminum silicate, Iron titanium oxide (pseudorutile), barium titanate, barium iron titanium oxide, barium aluminium oxide and magnetite, which are multi elemental, multi phases, multi layered crystal structures and therefore are excellent shielding materials. The design mix calculations for the development of radiation shielding concrete using developed synthetic shielding aggregates were carried out by adopting IS 10262-2009 for grade designation of M-30 concrete. The reference hematite ore concrete and developed concrete, slabs of size 30 cm × 30 cm × 7.2 cm were casted and sucessfully tested both for radiation shielding attenuation properties for gamma rays of factor using 137Cs (of photon energy 662 keV) and 241Am (of photon energy 60 keV) as well as X-rays of 300 kVp and found to posses highly effective shielding properties. For high energy radiation source i.e. 137Cs, the developed novel design mix concrete achieved attenuation factor of 5.8 as compared to 5.1 attenuation factor for hematite ore concrete. Further, the developed optimized design mix concrete have been tested for durability and the corrosion resistant test using standard 3.5% NaCl solution for optimized design mix were also carried out. The developed design mix of radiation shielding concrete using innovative red mud based synthetic shielding aggregates posses broad application spectrum ranging from construction of nuclear power plants, diagnostic X-ray, CT scanner rooms and storing radioactive waste.