High-density polyethylene with ZnO and TiO2 nanoparticle filler: Computational and experimental studies of radiation-protective characteristics of polymers

Abstract

BackgroundRadiation protection seeks to prevent the negative consequences of ionizing radiation by reducing unneeded radiation exposure. PurposeA widely established principle for working to assure radiation safety, the goal of this study is to optimize radiation protection. MethodsIn this study, high density polyethylene C2H4 (HDPE) was created utilizing additions of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide nanopowder in accordance with the HDPE(ZnO)x and HDPE(TiO2)x formulas, where x = 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10,12, and 15 mol%, respectively. The created samples were exposed to radiation from four typical point sources: 214 Am (59.5 keV), 133 Ba (303 and 356 keV), 137 Cs (661.7 keV), and 60 Co (1173 and 1332.5 keV). A sodium iodide (NaI (TI)) scintillation detector (2" × 2″) was used to measure the energy intensity. Experimental measurements and a calculation utilizing the WinXCOM database were used to determine the mass attenuation coefficient (μ/p) values for the prepared samples. ResultsThe findings of the experiment and the hypothesis were found to be highly similar. The sample with a combination of 15% ZnO and HDPE demonstrates superior efficacy in shielding against gamma radiation. The energy level of 1.332 MeV is associated with a 15% rise in the fraction of zinc oxide nanoparticles, which in turn leads to a 20% increase in the mass attenuation coefficient. Finally, it should be noted that the half value layer saw a decrease of 34% when the concentration of zinc oxide nanoparticles was increased by 15% at an energy level of 1.332 MeV. ConclusionIt can be deduced that the mass attenuation coefficient increased by 20% at 1.332 MeV with a 15% increase in the proportion of zinc oxide nanoparticles.