Effects of WO3 reinforcement on the properties of poly(lactic acid) composites for radiation shielding

Abstract

During this work, efforts have been made to improve the gamma radiation shielding capabilities of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) by including tungsten trioxide (WO3). Simulations and theoretical analyses have been performed on the parameters of radiation shielding. They have been tested across a broad spectrum of energies, from 0.015 to 15 MeV. The values suggest that naturally occurring composites with a high WO3 content may be utilized to improve the gamma shielding properties of PLA/TO (TO ≡ tungsten trioxide) composites for protection applications; such composites can be employed as a covering for the solar cells to prevent damage. The composite samples made of PLA and WO3 were analyzed for a range of photon energies. The results showed rise of considerable proportions in the values of linear attenuation coefficient (μ) and mass attenuation coefficient μm at 0.08 MeV, due to the k-absorption edge of tungsten. In addition, μ and μm for all samples at selected photon energy are increase as the WO3 content increases and decreases with increasing photon energy. The half value layer (T0.5) decreased as the WO3 content increased, with the highest values seen at 15 MeV and the lowest values at 15 keV. The behavior of the mean free path (λ) was identical to T0.5 with regards to the amount of WO3 and the energy of the photon. The T0.5 values of the PLA-W7 were lower than other polymer materials, making it a more efficient material for filtering radiation. The Zeff values of the PLA/TO composite samples were the highest at 0.08 MeV and showed a trend of increasing with energy to 15 MeV. The exposure buildup factor (EBF) and energy absorption buildup factor EABF values were computed using the G-P fitting method and showed that the lowest values were presented for the PLA-W7. An increase in WO3 reinforcement in the PLA sample contributed to the decreased EBF-EABF values. The shielding parameters were determined through calculations done using both Phy-X/PSD and FLUKA, and the results from both are in good agreement with each other. The results of the study demonstrate the effectiveness of PLA-W7 as a material for radiation shielding.