Development of lead-free metal carbides and ceramic decorated HDPE composites for low energy X-ray shielding applications

Abstract

Materials with high atomic numbers are effective for shielding ionizing radiation. However, some, such as lead, are toxic, and their disposal causes environmental damage. Polymer composites are a good choice for radiation shielding because they are environmentally friendly, lightweight and non-toxic. This study investigated the possibility of using high-density polyethylenhe (HDPE) composites doped with three different materials comprising the carbide (such as tungsten carbide, and molybdenum carbide) and ceramic (silicon carbide) as a kilo-voltage radiation shield. The linear attenuation coefficients of the composites ranged from 0.21 to 2.82cm−1. The measured results are in good agreement with XCOM with an average error of 13.82%. Through meticulous empirical analysis, including the assessment of linear and mass attenuation coefficients, half-value layer (HVL), and mean free path (MFP), our findings suggest that HDPE composites doped with 15% MoC present the most promising configuration for low-energy X-ray shielding (30–50 keV). This work concludes that HDPE composites decorated with MoC and W could be used as an alternative and environment-friendly material for shielding of kilo-voltage X-rays in medical diagnostics and research environments.