Gamma radiation shielding simulation for thermoplastic elastomer and silicon rubber/alloy dopant with functional nanoparticle

Abstract

With the global energy crisis worsening, the research and application of new energy have become a strategic objective for the major countries’ long-term development in the twenty-first century. Nuclear energy technology development and application have become central to new energy development. Numerous types of high-energy radiation (such as X-rays, gamma rays, and neutron rays) produced by nuclear materials not only impose stricter requirements on the radiation-resistant materials used in the reactor but also risk causing significant environmental pollution (nuclear pollution) and serious harm to human life and health if a leak does not form. As a result, the prudent control and protection of nuclear radiation have become critical issues in the development of nuclear energy. With the rapid development of nuclear power today, it is necessary to seek new nuclear radiation protection materials, particularly those with high energy, penetrating ability, and other neutron-protective material characteristics. This is a new type of nuclear power design and construction of critical materials. In this study, WinXCom software is used to simulate the shielding properties of the used functional shielding element, compounds of metal oxide, and the mixture of RTV and TPE with the functional nanoparticle and observe the K-edge absorption of the material used. Based on the simulation, the shielding performance of the selected element of Sm was observed to have the smallest weak gap absorption zone of 40-47 MeV in common medical radiation of 30-150 KeV. Different sets of combinations of shielding material were simulated and found that the combination of WO3 with Sm2O3 gave the most pronounced radiation shielding performance with two strong absorption peaks at 46.8 KeV and 69.5 KeV. RTV composite (Sm2O3+RTV+ WO3) with WO3 as matrix gave the best shielding performance and was used as a reference for the manufacture of the new type of shielding materials.