Novel efficient epoxy resin based shielding materials enhanced with BN powder against nuclear radiation: A new perspective of shielding performance analysis

Abstract

In this work, novel efficient epoxy resin based shielding materials enhanced with BN powder against nuclear radiation was proposed. The composites were prepared by using epoxy resin E51, polyamide resin 651 and BN powder. Neutron shielding performance was analyzed by using Evaluated Nuclear Data File, partial density method and a moderated 241Am–Be neutron source. In addition, gamma ray shielding performance and mechanical property were tested by a137Cs gamma ray source and an electronic universal testing machine, respectively. The results indicate that the addition of BN powder could improve the shielding performance for thermal neutron, fast neutron and gamma ray. Neutron shielding performance of prepared composite materials is nearly the same with the variation of densities. Nuclear shielding performance is better than commercial shields (SWX-213, SWX-201 and SWX-261). And the bending strength is greater than 12.78 MPa. In addition, shielding attenuation mechanism for neutron at 10−5–2 × 108 eV is mainly contributed by elastic scattering attenuation interaction produced by H and C from epoxy resin matrix, and absorption attenuation interaction produced by B from BN powder at 10−5–102 eV.