Improving the performance of nuclear protection of Al2Si2O5(OH)4–KAlSi3O8–SiO2 ceramics with cobalt insertion: an experimental study

Abstract

In this study, nuclear radiation shielding features of Al2Si2O5(OH)4–KAlSi3O8–SiO2 ceramic systems were explored by depending on cobalt (Co) insertion ratio (0, 5, 10, 20, 30 wt%). For this aim, five ceramic samples were produced and their elemental compositions were obtained with SEM-EDX analysis. Then, transmission measurements were achieved by using an ultra Ge detector and photons with 0.081–0.383 keV energy ranges. From the evaluated transmission spectra, mass attenuation coefficient (μρ) values of five ceramics were obtained experimentally and compared with theoretical results. According to the outcomes, the increment of the Co insertion rises the μρ values, whereas the half-value layer (HVL) value declines. It is also observed that effective atomic number (Zeff) values are raised, while effective electron density (Nel) is declined as Co additive increases in the ceramic sample. The geometric progression (GP) approach was utilized to estimate the energy absorption buildup factor (EABF) and exposure buildup factor (EBF) for the produced ceramic samples. EABFs and EBFs were obtained to be the smallest for 30% doped S5 sample according to the other ceramic samples. Lastly, the neutron attenuation ability of the ceramic samples was interpreted by finding the effective neutron cross sections (ΣR). It is noticed that the ΣR values are almost similar for all of the ceramics. As a result, the S5 sample is a skilled nominee for photon and neutron protection applications among the fabricated ceramic samples.