Polylactic acid tungsten trioxide reinforced composites: A study of their thermal, optical, and gamma radiation attenuation performance

Abstract

In the current investigation, the gamma radiation shielding abilities, structure, and thermal and optical properties of Polylactic acid PLA have been tried to be developed by introducing tungsten trioxide WO3. PLA/WO3 composites were fabricated by a solution mixing method at different weights percent (1%, 3%, 5%, and 7%). SEM indicates the good dispersion of WO3 in the PLA matrix, and the X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern displays the existence of recognizable peaks for PLA and WO3. The thermal properties were investigated by thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), which enhances the thermal stability of the PLA/WO3 composites more than pure PLA. The transmittance decreases with increasing the WO3 content in the PLA matrix while the absorption and extinction coefficients α and k as well as the refractive index, rise with the increase of the WO3 content in the PLA matrix. The radiation shielding parameters have been experimentally reported. The equipment used in the experiment consisted of a NaI detector as well as a variety of radioactive point sources that released photons with energy of 80, 238, 356, 662, 1173, 1333, and 2164 keV, respectively. Examining the linear attenuation coefficient (μ), the half-value layer (T0.5), and the radiation protection effectiveness of the PLA/WO3 composites was done in order to investigate the gamma radiation shielding capabilities of the materials (RPE). Pure PLA (free WO3) was found to have the lowest μ values, and it was discovered that increasing the WO3 content led to an improvement in the photon attenuation competency of the present epoxy. The T0.5 lengths of the PLA/WO3 composites were lowered when WO3 was added. This verified that adding WO3 increases the radiation absorption capabilities of the PLA/WO3 composites. The four different energies were tested. Based on the findings, it is possible to draw the conclusion that non-toxic, naturally occurring composites that are low in cost and have a high WO3 content could play an important part in enhancing the gamma-ray shielding capabilities of PLA/WO3 composites for low-energy radiation applications, which can used as protective cover for solar cell against harm radiation.