Improving electrical, optical and radiation shielding properties of polyvinyl alcohol yttrium oxide composites

Abstract

This research aims to study the impact of yttrium oxide on the radiation protection features of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) for gamma shielding applications. The yttrium oxide (Y2O3) was instilled through the PVA matrix by different contents (x = 0.1 wt%, 0.3 wt%, 0.7 wt%, 0.9 wt%). The morphology of the prepared PVA/Y2O3 composites was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The samples were investigated using absorption edge, transmittance spectra and dielectric properties. The transmittance and the bandgap energy decrease as the Y2O3 content increases while there is an increase in ε′ and ε″ as well as the ac conductivity with the content increment of Y2O3 till 0.7 wt%. The temperature dependence of the dc conductivity was measured for all samples in the range of 260–460 K, and it increases with the temperature increasing. To correlate the electrical characteristics of the PVA/Y2O3 composites with their structure and evaluate electrical properties with the help of equivalent circuit matching with the experimentally electrical response in the impedance spectrum, the radiation protection properties were also investigated to get the radiation shielding performance of these PVA/Y2O3 composite films with varying Y2O3 content. The linear attenuation coefficient (μ), half value layer (T0.5), and mass attenuation coefficient (μm) were measured. According to all obtained data, PVA/Y2O3 composite films with various percentages (0.1 wt%, 0.3 wt%, 0.7 wt%, 0.9 wt%) can be used as a radiation shielding material.