The relationship between ceramic additives among structural, morphological, shielding, and stopping power features of BN/ZnFe metal matrix materials

Abstract

Ionizing radiation has many negative effects on human health. These include eye and skin disorders and DNA damage inside cells. To eliminate or reduce these destructive effects of radiation, economical, low-corrosion, effective shielding materials with high absorption properties are needed. In this study, zinc-iron-based metal matrix composite materials with various proportions of boron nitride were produced on steel substrates. The structural and surface properties of the materials were examined with XRD and SEM images, respectively. These structures were irradiated with radioactive Am-241, Sr-90, Na-22, and Co-60 sources for their radiation shielding properties. Then, the absorption ratios in the samples were investigated according to the reinforced ceramic amounts in their content. In addition to the experiment, the stopping power and range values of the samples were calculated to check the reliability of the results. ZnFe alloys and composites are based on the dominant peaks of the heta (ƞ) phase of zinc. The amount of boron nitride added to the electrolyte significantly affected the crystal structure, while the incorporation of boron nitride into the zinc-iron matrix impressed the average grain size of the coating. The microstrain and dislocation densities of the film first decreased to 15 g/L and then increased depending on the ion diameter. The BN doping made the porous surface smooth, crack-free, and compact. It was found that the absorption rates for radiation increased as the amount of boron nitride in the samples increased. According to the rising amount of boron nitride, the absorption percentages are between 1.88 and 6.19% for alpha particles, 0.78–3.06% for electrons, 0.77–6.56% for positrons, and 0.61–6.34% for gamma photons. When the stopping power and range values were averaged, the amount of boron nitride increased directly and inversely with the stopping power and range values, respectively.