Enhanced electron radiation shielding composite developed by well dispersed fillers in PDMS polymer

Abstract

This study reports a novel shielding material against high energy electron beam, where bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) and multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) nanoparticles added in a polymer matrix can solid electron beam radiation several times more efficient than aluminum with the same areal density. The polymer nanocomposites were prepared by dispersing nanoparticles in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) with a simple one-step fabrication process, in five areal densities (0.5, 1, 1.5, 3, and 5 g/cm2). All the samples were irradiated by 9, 12, 16, and 20 MeV electron beam. The prepared PDMS/CNT/BiO (CNT and BiO are the shorten name of fillers for coding the samples) showed better electron shielding ability than aluminum (Al) for any areal density. The weight advantageous of nanocomposite over aluminum was calculated up to 36 wt% for same attenuation efficiency. The thermal stability of nanocomposites up to 415 °C, as well as the tensile strength of up to 4.7 MPa, exhibited the high potential of developed samples for high energy electron beam shielding in medical and aerospace applications.