Gamma radiation shielding by titanium alloy reinforced by polymeric composite materials

Abstract

The Ti-6Al-4V alloy (TAV) has several desirable properties, including high density, strength, low corrosion, biocompatibility, and flexibility. Based on these attractive features, we study the gamma radiation shielding capabilities of a titanium alloy TAV strengthened by polymeric composite materials. Examining the TAV alloy demonstrates discernible X-ray diffraction (XRD) peaks corresponding to specific crystallographic planes, showing its crystalline nature. The produced composites exhibit mass attenuation coefficient (μm) values that are very competitive compared to those of other shielding materials recorded in the current literature. The study results provide compelling evidence that incorporating TAV into polymeric composites has considerable promise in their effectiveness as gamma radiation shielding materials. These favorable features can be attributable to a high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, non-magnetic properties, and biocompatibility. This work describes the photon attenuation characteristics and performance of an innovative polymer composite constructed with a matrix reinforced with four different TAV content proportions (20, 30, 40, and 50 wt%). Composite materials significantly improve μm values, particularly as their density increases, especially at lower gamma energy levels. The attributes make composites highly suitable for utilization in the fields of radiation and diagnostics, where the presence of adequate shielding is of utmost importance. At the energy level of 662 keV, the μm of the shielding material exhibited a notable increase as the amount of TAV was gradually raised, reaching 0.075 at a loading rate of 20% and significantly improving to 0.136 at a loading rate of 50%. The study reveals that the half-value layer (HVL) of composites increases with the energy level of the incoming gamma photons, indicating that the composites can attenuate low-energy gamma radiation and that higher-energy photons require larger thicknesses. The HVL also depends on the amount of material filling the polymer matrix, and its effectiveness improves as filler material increases.