Evaluation of the shielding effectiveness of a non-toxic, double-layered BaSO4/W composite against diagnostic X-rays

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the shielding effectiveness of a non-toxic double layer of barium sulfate and tungsten with disclosed elemental compositions against diagnostic X-rays. Three variations of the radiation shielding material were created: one mainly composed of tungsten (mW), another mainly composed of barium sulfate (mBa), and a third composed of a blend of barium sulfate and tungsten (W/Ba). The following three types of 1.0 mm protective sheets were used to compare their shielding effectiveness: a double layer with mW upstream and mBa downstream (mW→mBa); a double layer with mBa upstream and mW downstream (mBa→mW); and W/Ba. Moreover, using experimental measurements and Monte Carlo calculations, the shielding effectiveness against 110 kVp X-rays of mBa→mW (0.495 g cm−2) was compared with the corresponding values for a commercially available lead-free protective apron (0.25 mmPb equivalent) and a 0.5 mm pure lead sheet (0.567 g cm−2). The measured and calculated shielding of a mBa→mW double layer was approximately 1% more effective than that of the reverse arrangement and of the mixture. The shielding effectiveness of mBa→mW was 93.66%, which compared with values of 87.22% for the commercially available lead-free apron and 93.86% for pure lead. In conclusion, the 1.0 mm non-toxic radiation shielding sheet having a double-layered structure with barium sulfate upstream and tungsten downstream was approximately 13% lighter than a 0.5 mm thick pure lead sheet but provided an equivalent shielding effectiveness against diagnostic X-rays.