High-performance heavy concrete as a multi-purpose shield

Abstract

Concrete has long been used as a shield against high-energy photons and neutrons. In this study, colemanite and galena minerals (CoGa) were used for the production of an economical high-performance heavy concrete. To measure the gamma radiation attenuation of the CoGa concrete samples, they were exposed to a narrow beam of gamma rays emitted from a (60)Co radiotherapy unit. An Am-Be neutron source was used for assessing the shielding properties of the samples against neutrons. The compression strengths of both types of concrete mixes (CoGa and reference concrete) were investigated. The range of the densities of the heavy concrete samples was 4100-4650 kg m(-3), whereas it was 2300-2600 kg m(-3) in the ordinary concrete reference samples. The half-value layer of the CoGa concrete samples for (60)Co gamma rays was 2.49 cm; much less than that of ordinary concrete (6.0 cm). Moreover, CoGa concrete samples had a 10 % greater neutron absorption compared with reference concrete.