Preparation and characterization of bismuth-filled high-density polyethylene composites for gamma-ray shielding

Abstract

An attempt has been made to prepare the nonlead-based gamma shielding materials by adding different weight percentages (0%, 10%, 20%, and 40%) of bismuth in high-density polyethylene (HDPE) matrix. Gamma shielding parameters such as linear attenuation coefficient (μ), mass attenuation coefficient (μm), half-value layer, tenth value layer relaxation length (λ), and percentage attenuation were determined for all synthesized samples using 3“×3” NaI (Tl) detector for 59.54 keV energy. The results obtained from attenuation studies have shown that the shielding efficiency of synthesized HDPE+Bi composites increases with an increase in the weight percentage of bismuth. The experimentally obtained mass attenuation coefficient values are compared with Monte Carlo simulation using Monte Carlo N-particle code and XCOM code and are in good agreement with each other. The mechanical parameters such as tensile strength, tensile modulus, and elongation at the break were also determined for synthesized composites. Among the prepared composites, HDPE containing 40 wt% of bismuth (HDPE+40% Bi) has shown good radiation shielding property for 59.54 keV gamma rays along with good mechanical properties. Therefore, HDPE+40% Bi can be considered as a better lead-free shielding material for low-energy gamma rays.