Radiation Shielding Capacity Research Articles

Effect of oxidation on radiation shielding capacity of ZrNbTaMoW Refractory High Entropy Alloys (RHEA) for nuclear reactor applications: Experimental and theoretical assessment

This study presents the production and comprehensive assessment of a Refractory High Entropy Alloy (RHEA) with a ZrNbTaMoW composition for possible usage nuclear reactor applications. The alloy was synthesized using the mechanical alloying (MA) method, and its radiation properties were examined. Elemental powders of Zr, Nb, Ta, Mo, and W were utilized in equimolar quantities during the 120-hour MA process, conducted under a high-purity Ar atmosphere to prevent oxidation. The obtained HEA was then subjected to a mechano-thermal process to transform it into Refractory High-Entropy Oxide (RHEO) for comparing their radiation-shielding performance under oxide conditions. The characterization of the produced alloys through X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and electron dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The photon shielding parameters of the alloys were experimentally obtained for various energies emitted from a 133Ba radioactive source, employing a Canberra UltraLEGe semiconductor detector. Furthermore, theoretical calculations were performed to validate the experimental data and to evaluate the alloys' photon shielding capabilities comprehensively. For this purpose, Phy-X/PSD software was employed to determine mass attenuation coefficients, half-value layer, effective atomic number, and effective electron density. Fast neutron absorption capabilities were determined through the calculation of average absorption cross-sections in the 2–12 MeV energy range. The results showed that the oxidation process significantly diminished the photon absorption capacity of RHEA.

An extensive assessment of the impacts of BaO on the mechanical and gamma-ray attenuation properties of lead borosilicate glass

The current work deals with the synthesis of a new glass series with a chemical formula of 5Al2O3–25PbO–10SiO2–(60-x) B2O3–xBaO; x was represented as 5, 10, 15, and 20 mol%. The FT-IR spectroscopy was used to present the structural modification by rising the BaO concentration within the synthesized glasses. Furthermore, the impacts of BaO substitution for B2O3 on the fabricated borosilicate glasses were investigated using the Makishima-Mackenzie model. Besides, the role of BaO in enhancing the gamma-ray shielding properties of the fabricated boro-silicate glasses was examined utilizing the Monte Carlo simulation. The mechanical properties evaluation depicts a reduction in the mechanical moduli (Young, bulk, shear, and longitudinal) by the rising of the Ba/B ratio in the fabricated glasses. Simultaneously, the micro-hardness boro-silicate glasses was reduced from 4.49 to 4.12 GPa by increasing the Ba2+/B3+ ratio from 0.58 to 3.18, respectively. In contrast, the increase in the Ba/B ratio increases the linear attenuation coefficient, where it is enhanced between 0.409 and 0.448 cm−1 by rising the Ba2+/B3+ ratio from 0.58 to 3.18, respectively. The enhancement in linear attenuation coefficient decreases the half-value thickness from 1.69 to 1.55 cm and the equivalent thickness of lead is also reduced from 3.04 to 2.78 cm, at a gamma-ray energy of 0.662 MeV. The study shows that the increase in the Ba2+/B3+ ratio enhances the radiation shielding capacity of the fabricated glasses however, it slightly degrades the mechanical properties of the fabricated glasses. Therefore, glasses with high ratios of Ba2+/B3+ have high gamma-ray shielding ability to be used in hospitals as a shielding material.

Nuclear radiation shielding performance of the new lead‐free TeO2–Bi2O3–ZnO–BaF2 glass

AbstractThis paper studied the radiation shielding properties of new lead‐free telluride glass with different BaF2 content. The 65TeO2–15Bi2O3–(20 − x)ZnO–xBaF2 glass systems (where x = 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 mol%) were tested through the X‐ray diffraction, ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometer, and differential scanning calorimetry. The glass system exhibited good thermal stability and a uniform surface without surface crystallization. The linear attenuation coefficient of the TBZBF series glass was tested using five different gamma radiation sources (241Am, 133Ba, 57Co, 137Cs, and 60Co). They were calculated to the mass attenuation coefficient, half‐value layer, mean free path, and effective atomic number through numerical simulations with XCOM software. The maximum mass attenuation coefficient for TBZBF‐9 was calculated to be 5.3577 cm2/g. Comparisons were made between this glass system and other tellurite and leaded glasses reported in the literature. The glass system exhibited superior radiation shielding capability compared to leaded tellurite glass under the same testing conditions. The gamma radiation shielding capacity increased with BaF2 content in the glass system. These results show that TBZBF‐9 exhibited the best gamma radiation shielding effectiveness while maintaining glass transparency.

A comprehensive evaluation of Mg-Ni based alloys radiation shielding features for nuclear protection applications

The current study aims to study the impacts of the substitution of magnesium with nickel concentrations on physical and γ-ray shielding capacity of magnesium alloys. The density of the magnesium alloys under study is varied from 3.677 g/cm3 to 5.652 g/cm3, with raising the nickel content from 26.7 wt% to 54.8 wt% and reducing the magnesium concentration from 72.6 wt% to 44.2 wt%, respectively. Additionally, the examination of the γ-ray shielding capacity using the Monte Carlo simulation code shows that the substitution of magnesium by nickel content in the magnesium alloys was associated with an enhancement in the γ-ray shielding capacity, where the linear attenuation coefficient for the studied alloys was enhanced by 53.22 %, 52.45 %, and 52.52 % at γ-ray energies of 0.662 MeV, 1.252 MeV, and 1.408 MeV, respectively, with raising the nickel concentration from 26.7 wt% to 54.8 wt%. Simultaneously, the half-value thickness for magnesium alloys was reduced from 2.47 cm to 1.62 cm (at gamma ray energy of 0.662 MeV), from 3.39 cm to 2.22 cm (at gamma ray energy of 1.252 MeV), and from 3.60 cm to 2.36 cm (at gamma ray energy of 1.408 MeV), raising the nickel concentration from 26.7 wt% to 54.8 wt%, respectively. The study shows that the substitution of magnesium for nickel greatly enhanced the radiation shielding capacity of the magnesium alloys.

X-ray attenuation performance of a newly synthesized tellurium based lead-free radiation shielding glass system

The lead-free quaternary glass systems containing B2O3–CaO–ZnO–TeO2 were synthesized using the traditional melt-quenching method. XRD analysis confirmed that the TeZnCaB glass system exhibited an amorphous behaviour. The density of the glass samples was increased from 3.48 g/cc to 4.08 g/cc by increasing the TeO2 concentration from 20 to 45 mol%. From UV–visible spectroscopy, it was observed that direct and indirect energy band gaps decreased with increasing the TeO2 concentration whereas the refractive index increased. TEM analysis revealed the amorphous behaviour along with nanocrystals present in the glass sample. X-ray attenuation measurements were performed to assess the radiation shielding properties of the lead-free glass system and observed that the radiation shielding capacity was increased with the TeO2 concentration. The best lead equivalent thickness was 2.02 mm for the sample with 45% TeO2 and these glasses could be promising materials for medical diagnostic applications.

Mechanical, structural, and radiation shielding characteristics for transparent boro-tellurite glasses modified with strontium and bismuth oxide ratios

In this investigation, a new transparent boro-tellurite glass series modified with strontium oxide and differing ratios of bismuth oxide was synthesized to explore the radiation shielding ability. The mechanical and physical features were checked theoretically. At the same time, the structure for fabricated glasses was investigated by Raman spectra, thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). According to Raman spectra results, the prominent peaks displayed enhancing and shifting to lower wavenumber from 774 cm−1 for TBSB0 to 751 cm−1 for TBSB20 with adding Bi2O3 instead of TeO2. XRD proved the amorphous nature of all glass samples. In contrast, TGA explored the thermal stability by studying the weight loss for TBSB0 and TBSB20 that are 1.6264 % and 0.3198 % at 1000 °C, respectively. The inclusion of Bi2O3 as opposed to TeO2 resulted in a density enhancement from 4.3200 to 5.6900 g/cm3, packing density (Vt) from 0.4221 to 0.4715, and mass attenuation coefficient (μm, at 184 keV) from 0.2921 to 0.7185 cm2/g. On another side, experimental evaluation of the radiation shielding properties was conducted, and the μm values were compared with XCOM data. The theoretical and experimental relative difference was in the 0.445–5.974 % range. The direct relation between Bi2O3 concentrations and radiation shielding properties is obvious. TBSB20 sample showed the highest radiation shielding capacity compared with other fabricated glasses. These results indicate the ability to use the fabricated glasses in the radiation shielding field.

Radiation shielding capacity and machine learning density prediction of boro-bismuth cadmium zinc glasses

Bismuth borate cadmium zinc glasses were prepared using melt quenching technique for shielding applications. The glasses had the composition (80-x)B2O3-xBi2O3-10CdO-10ZnO, where 0<x<20mol%. The densities of the glasses were predicted using machine learning tools and were found to increase with increasing Bi2O3 content. This increase in density was correlated with changes in the infrared spectrum of the glasses. The density of the glass changed from 4.410 g/cm³ to 6.9830 g/cm³ when bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) was added to the glass network. This is because Bi2O3 changes the structure of the glass. The presence of octahedral BiO6 units in the glass is confirmed by the peak at 514 cm-1 in the infrared spectrum. This peak shifts to a lower wavenumber as the amount of Bi2O3 in the glass increases. The shift of the infrared peak from 688 cm-1 to 596 cm-1 indicates that Bi2O3 is actively participating in the glass network, which results in a decrease in the number of BO3 units. The shift of the infrared peak from 1060 cm-1 to 1137 cm-1 is attributed to B-O stretching vibrations in BO4- units, and also confirms that the number of BO4 units is increasing. The density of the glass was predicted using machine learning algorithms that are trained on the chemical composition and experimental density of glasses. Polynomial regression and artificial neural networks (ANNs) were used to predict the density of glass from its chemical composition. Polynomial regression performed best with a 10th-degree polynomial, with an R2 value of 0.8820. ANNs performed best with a tanh activation function, with an R2 value of 0.8923. Random forest regression performed better than other machine learning models at predicting the density of glass, with an R2 value of 0.920. The predicted values were very close to the experimental values. The mass (MAC) and linear (LAC) attenuation coefficients of radiation shielding followed the following trend: (MAC, LAC)0 < (MAC, LAC)5 < (MAC, LAC)10 < (MAC, LAC)15 < (MAC, LAC)20. The half value layer followed the trend: HVL followed as: (HVL)0 > (HVL)5 > (HVL)10 > (HVL)15 > (HVL)20. The Radiation Protection Effectiveness (RPE) reinforces the superiority of BBCZ-20 glasses in shielding against gamma radiation, making them promising candidates for radiation protection applications.

Physico-mechanical properties and shielding efficiency in relation to mineralogical and geochemical compositions of Um Had granitoid, Central Eastern Desert, Egypt

The current work aims to describe the physico-mechanical characteristics and shielding efficiency with reference to the mineralogical and geochemical compositions of the Neoproterozoic Um Had composite granitoid pluton in order to deduce their favorability as dimension stones. The Um Had granitoid pluton has an elliptical outline with a mean diameter of about 10 km. This pluton is a composite (ranging from white to reddish pink color), hard, massive, and medium- to coarse-grained granitoid body. It is classified as syenogranite according to their modal and bulk chemical compositions. Geochemically, the granitoid pluton is a highly calc-alkaline, peraluminous granite, formed by low degree partial melting of tonalitic source rock in a post-collisional tectonic setting. The physico-mechanical properties of the granitoid pluton under study satisfy the requirements of dimension stone in terms of their bulk density (from 2561 to 2564 kg/m3), and to some extent water absorption capacity (from 0.38% to 0.55%). However, their compressive strength values (50.4–113.4 MPa) do not achieve the minimum requirement for interior use and light duty exterior use. This study delves into the potential of some of our syenogranite samples (I, IIA, IIS, and 10) as gamma radiation shielding materials. We have assessed the mass attenuation coefficient (GMAC), effective atomic number (Zeff), exposure build-up factor (EBF), and energy absorption build-up factor (EABF) for each of these samples. The GMAC and Zeff calculations were performed using the Phy-X online software, across a photon energy range of 0.015–15 MeV. Our findings suggest an inverse relationship between photon energy and GMAC, with the highest values observed for the (I) granite sample (∼18). This study shows the promising radiation shielding capacity of our samples. The insights derived from GMAC, Zeff, EBF, and EABF can serve as a guide for the development of effective, naturally sourced radiation shielding materials.

Optical and radiation shielding properties of PVC/BiVO4 nanocomposite

This study investigates the physical and optical properties as well as the radiation shielding capacity of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) loaded with x% of bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) (x = 0, 1, 3, and 6 wt%). As a non-toxic nanofiller, the designed materials are low-cost, flexible, and lightweight plastic to replace traditional lead, which is toxic and dense. XRD patterns and FTIR spectra demonstrated a successful fabrication and complexation of nanocomposite films. In addition, the particle size, morphology, and elemental composition of the BiVO4 nanofiller were demonstrated through the utilization of TEM, SEM, and EDX spectra. The MCNP5 simulation code assessed the gamma-ray shielding effectiveness of four PVC + x% BiVO4 nanocomposites. The obtained mass attenuation coefficient data of the developed nanocomposites were comparable to the theoretical calculation performed with Phy-X/PSD software. Moreover, the initial stage in the computation of various shielding parameters, such as half-value layer, tenth value layer, and mean free path, besides the simulation of linear attenuation coefficient. The transmission factor declines while radiation protection efficiency increases with an increase in the proportion of BiVO4 nanofiller. Further, the current investigation seeks to evaluate the thickness equivalent (Xeq), effective atomic number (Zeff), and effective electron density (Neff) values as a function of the concentration of BiVO4 in a PVC matrix. The results obtained from the parameters indicate that incorporating BiVO4 into PVC can be an effective strategy for developing sustainable and lead-free polymer nanocomposites, with potential uses in radiation shielding applications.

Synthesis, optical, mechanical characteristics, and gamma-ray shielding capacity of polyethylene -basalt mixture

In this work, a new polymeric composite consisting of polyethylene polymers as a base material filled with different weight percentages of basalt rock was prepared. The basalt ratio was added to the base material with percentages of 1.0 up to 20.0 wt%. The crystal structure, optical, mechanical properties, and gamma-ray shielding capacity of the undoped and the doped polymeric samples which were coded as HDPE-Bx, where x = 0.0, 1.0, 3.0, 5.0, 10.0, and 20.0 wt% were investigated. The optical energy band gap (EOptical) of the prepared mixture was decreased by increasing the basalt concentration in the mixture from 4 to 2.6 eV for the allowed direct transition and from 5.5 to 4.7 eV for the allowed indirect transition. The mechanical properties of the HDPE polymers were enhanced with the enhancement of Basalt (powder) added to the host polymers with ratios ranging from 0.0 to 20.0 wt%. Radiation shielding capacity of the prepared samples was investigated in the 0.015–15 MeV photon energy via Phy-X software and MCNP-5 simulation code. Results revealed that the mass attenuation coefficient (μm) of the prepared samples increased with increasing the basalt ratio from 1.0 to 20 wt%. Besides, the half-value layer (HVL) decreased. The μm ranged from 0.7455 to 2.956 cm2/g for HDPE-B0 to HDPE-B20 at 0.015 MeV photon energy, while at 15 MeV, the result refers to an increase in the μm from 0.0181 to 0.0189 cm2/g for HDPE-B0 to HDPE-B20. The HVL of the prepared samples was arranged in the order that HDPE-B0 > HDPE-B1 > HDPE-B3 > HDPE-B5 > HDPE-B10 > HDPE-B20. This order assured that HDPE-B20 is better in shielding applications than the other prepared samples.

Design, synthesis, and characterization of Pb-free tellurite glasses for radiation shielding applications

The melt and quench technique was used to create a new TeO2–Li2O–MoO3 glass system with the objective of providing alternative and new shielding materials for radiation safety purposes. The synthesized glasses were studied by means of their physical, thermal, and radiation shielding characteristics. It was demonstrated using Raman and FTIR spectroscopy that the insertion of Li2O and MoO3 resulted in a superimposed reduction of all Te units, including TeO3+1 and TeO3 with non-bridging oxygen, via the formation of Te(short)-O-Mo and a coordination change from MoO4 to MoO6. The densities of the prepared glasses were relatively high, having values between 4.48 and 5.11 g/cm3. Compared with TeO2-pure glass, the values for Tg and Tx substantially decrease with Li2O and MoO3 insertion. However, among prepared samples, there is only a small fluctuation in both characteristic temperatures, suggesting high thermal/composition stability. FLUKA simulations were used to estimate the photon, proton, electron, α-particle, and carbon ion shielding parameters for beam energies ranging from 15 to 15,000 keV. With changes in the chemical designation of the synthesized glasses, the mass attenuation coefficient of photons and stopping powers of charged radiation changed, gradually increasing with glass density and decreasing with Li2O and MoO3 insertion. In addition, the ability of the glasses to moderate fast neutrons declined with increases in the MoO3 and Li2O weight contents. On the contrary, the total cross section of thermal neutrons improved as glass density decreased and Li2O and MoO3 content increased. The synthesized glasses, through the evaluated parameters, showed better radiation shielding capacity compared to existing shields such as concrete and commercial RS-series glass shields.

Determination of Gamma Radiation Shielding Characteristics for Some Iron-Based Metallic Glasses

In this study, the gamma radiation shielding characteristics of metallic glasses having Fe81B13.5Si3.5C2, Fe79B16Si5, Fe78B13Si9 and Fe40Ni38B18Mo4 components and coded as FeBSiC, FeBSi1, FeBSi2 and FeNiBMo were investigated. In order to investigate, the mass attenuation coefficients for metallic glasses in the photon energies range of 0.060 to 2.614 MeV were calculated with the help of WinXCOM program and GEANT4 and FLUKA simulation codes. The linear attenuation coefficient, half and tenth value layers, mean free path, effective atomic number and electron density parameters were calculated with the help of the calculated mass attenuation coefficients. Variations of the calculated gamma radiation shielding parameters with photon energy were discussed. It was observed that mass and linear attenuation coefficients, effective atomic number and electron density parameters decreased with increasing photon energy, while half and tenth value layers and mean free path parameters increased with increasing photon energy. It has been observed that metallic glasses have better gamma shielding capabilities in the low photon energy region, and metallic glass coded as FeNiBMo has better gamma radiation shielding capacity than other studied metallic glasses.

A detailed investigation of gamma and neutron shielding capabilities of ternary composites doped with polyacrylonitrile and gadolinium (III) sulfate

The shielding efficiencies of gamma and neutron radiations for ternary composites containing polyester resin, polyacrylonitrile and gadolinium (III) sulfate at different ratios were investigated in the present study. In order to investigate the gamma radiation shielding capacity of the produced ternary composites, linear and mass attenuation coefficients, half value layer, effective atomic number and radiation protection efficiency parameters were determined experimentally, theoretically and using the GEANT4 simulation code. The gamma shielding capabilities of the composites were studied in the photon energy range of 59.5–1332.5 keV. In order to investigate the neutron shielding abilities of composites, inelastic, elastic, capture and transport numbers, total macroscopic cross section and mean free path parameters were determined with the help of GEANT4 simulation code. In addition, the number of transmitted neutrons at different sample thicknesses and neutron energies were also determined. It was observed that gamma radiation shielding properties were improved due to the increasing amount of gadolinium (III) sulfate and neutron shielding properties were improved due to the increasing amount of polyacrylonitrile. While the composite coded P0Gd50 exhibits a better gamma radiation shielding ability than the others, the neutron shielding of the sample coded P50Gd0 is also more favorable than the others.

Structural, optical and radiation shielding parameters of sodium aluminium borate glasses modified with chromium oxide

Samples of nominal composition xCr2O3. (60-x)B2O3.5Al2O3.35Na2O: x = 0 (Cr0), 0.1 (Cr0.1), 0.2 (Cr0.2), 0.4 (Cr0.4), 0.6 (Cr0.6), 0.8 (Cr0.8), and 1 (Cr1) mol% were prepared via the traditional melt quenching route. Structural FTIR absorption spectra of the prepared glasses reveal distinct absorption bands which are characteristic of both triangular BO3 and tetrahedral BO4 groups within their varying wavenumber vibrational sites. The dopant chromium ions are observed to have no distinct variations on the FTIR spectra because of low dopant percent. Optical absorption characterization indicates that the undoped glass shows only UV absorption which is related to originating from unavoidable trace ferric ions present as impurities in the used chemicals. The Cr2O3-doped glasses reveal additional UV absorption at about 370-385 nm correlated with the hexavalent state of chromium, producing this distinct charge transfer band. Additionally, two visible bands are identified at about 420-400 nm and 580-640 nm originating from trivalent chromium ions with distorted octahedral coordination. Optical parameters including band gap, refractive index, molar refraction, and reflection losses were calculated together with optical dielectric properties, electronic and molar polarizability. In terms of radiation shielding capacity, increasing Cr2O3 mol% of the sample encoded Cr1 that possessed the highest mass (μm) and linear (μ) attenuation coefficients, but the lowest half value layer (HVL) at low and high incident photon energy, results showed that Cr1 can be used in optical and radiation shielding safety.

Impacts of the calcination temperature on the structural and radiation shielding properties of the NASICON compound synthesized from zircon minerals

The present work aims to fabricate Na1+xZr2SixP3-xO12 compound at various calcination temperatures based on the zircon mineral. The fabricated compound was calcinated at 250, 500, and 1000°C. The effect of calcination temperature on the structure, crystal phase, and radiation shielding properties was studied for the fabricated compound. The X-ray diffraction diffractometer demonstrates that, the monoclinic crystal phase appeared at a calcination temperature of 250°C and 500°C is totally transformed to a high-symmetry hexagonal crystal phase under a calcination temperature of 1000°C. The radiation shielding capacity was also qualified for the fabricated compounds using the Monte Carlo N-Particle transport code in the γ-photons energy interval between 15keV and 122keV. The impacts of calcination temperature on the γ-ray shielding behavior were clarified in the present study, where the linear attenuation coefficient was enhanced by 218% at energy of 122keV, when the calcination temperature increased from 250 to 1000°C, respectively.

Analysis of radiation shielding, physical and optical qualities of various rare earth dopants on barium tellurite glasses: A comparative study

In the present study, the barium tellurite glasses with the compositions of 60TeO2– 20ZnO– 4BaF2-(16-x) BaCO3-xREEs2O3 (Rare Earth Elements) where x = 0, 1, and 2 of Tm2O3, Er2O3, and Ho2O3 in mol% have been studied via MCNPX simulation code in terms of radiation shielding, physical, and optical qualities. Seven various glasses coded as TeZnBB, TeZnBBTm1.0 (Tm1.0), TeZnBBEr1.0 (Er1.0), TeZnBBHo1.0 (Ho1.0), TeZnBBTm2.0 (Tm2.0), TeZnBBEr2.0 (Er2.0), and TeZnBBHo2.0 (Ho2.0) in this work. The radiation shielding features have been derived using BLL. In addition, N, VM, VS, ri, rp, and F are extracted analytically. The optical properties have been obtained using Tauc's Plot, Mott and Davis, and Lorentz –Lorentz equations. Findings show that the addition of various REEs to barium tellurite glasses improves the radiation shielding capacity of the base glass. Furthermore, the physical features of preferred glasses are enhanced remarkably and as a result, a tight glass structure is created. Moreover, M has small values near zero, showing a narrow bandgap in relevant optical glasses. Also, RLoss and ε increase which is owing to the increase in the number of Non-Bridging Oxygens and causes the locking up of the free movement of the electrons in preferred glasses.

Radiation shielding capacity of Li2O-SiO2/GeO2 glasses doped with rare earth oxides: Nuclear security applications

In the present work, the ionizing radiation (namely, gamma-rays, charged particles, and neutrons) attenuation parameters of Li2O–SiO2 (denoted as LS) and Li2O–SiO2–GeO2 glasses doped with Y2O3 and In2O3 (LGY and LGI) glasses were estimated and analyzed with the aim of exploring their shielding potentials. The gamma-ray transmission attenuation coefficient was simulated by the FLUKA code and also estimated by XCOM. Also, the stopping powers and ranges of electrons, protons, α-particles, and carbon ions were estimated for particle kinetic energies within 15–15000 keV. The fast and thermal (25 meV) neutron cross-sections were estimated for the three glasses. At 15 MeV, the mass attenuation coefficient is 0.019, 0.021 and 0.022 cm2/g while the linear attenuation coefficient magnitude varied within the range of 0.047–11.564 cm−1, 0.061–32.008 cm−1 and 0.068–38.122 cm−1 for LS, LGY, and LGI, respectively. The effective atomic number varied from 8.21 to 12.00 for LS, 8.71–22.71 for LGY, and 8.78–26.37 for LGI. Likewise, the charged particle shielding ability of the glasses was in the order: LS < LGY < LGI. This trend was conserved for the neutrons’ cross-sections. Compared to conventional and recently researched shields, LS, LGY, and LGI present viable alternative glass shields in nuclear radiation applications.

Ionizing radiation shielding efficacy of common mortar and concrete used in Bangladeshi dwellings

Ionizing radiation has become an integral component of modern scientific advancement. However, radiation can be harmful to human health if not shielded efficiently. Extensive research has been carried out to improve the shielding efficiencies of different construction materials, thereby leading to varying possible alternatives for future radiation-safe constructions. In contrast, the shielding capacities of existing structures and raw materials have received less attention, and no evaluation of the safety of the inhabitants in case of an emergency appears to have been conducted in Bangladesh. Therefore, this research aims to study the radiation shielding properties of ordinary mortar and concrete used in Bangladeshi dwellings. Three of the most used field concretes (1:1.25:2.5, 1:1.5:3, and 1:2:4) and mortar (1:3, 1:4, and 1:5) mixes are tailor-made for this purpose. Additional samples were prepared by partial replacement (15% and 30%) of cement in the media with ladle slag. The samples' transmission characteristics of 662 keV, 1173 keV, and 1332 keV gamma rays were measured using Co60 and Cs137 as radiation sources. A p-type, coaxial HPGe gamma-ray detector was used for this purpose, and each sample was tested for a consecutive period of 20000 s. Linear attenuation coefficient, mass attenuation coefficient, half value layer, tenth value layer, mean free path, and radiation protection efficiency are evaluated from the experimental results. Furthermore, the mechanical properties of concrete and mortar samples are determined. It is found that concrete with a field mix ratio of 1: 1.5: 3 offers better shielding at low energy, while 1: 1.25: 2.5 composition is more effective at higher energy. Similarly, 1:3 mortars are more effective for low energy, and 1:5 mortars provide better results for high energy radiation. However, the differences between the various concrete and mortar compositions are minimal. The ladle furnace slag slightly reduced the radiation shielding capacity of both mortar and concrete. The highest strength and lowest sorptivity were obtained for 1: 1.25: 2.5 concrete, whereas the opposite trend is observed for 1: 2: 4. On the other hand, 1: 3 and 1: 5 mortars show the highest and lowest compressive strength, respectively. No definite correlation between sample strength and shielding capacity can be established, although ultrasonic pulse velocity seems to be a good indicator in this case. Overall, conventional mortar and concrete used in infrastructure construction in Bangladesh show satisfactory results in shielding gamma rays in the energy range of 661–1332 keV.

Characterization and Gamma-ray Shielding Performance of Calcinated and Ball-Milled Calcinated Bentonite Clay Nanoparticles

The current investigation deals with the fabrication of two various composite-based bentonite clay minerals. The characterization and radiation shielding parameters for the two fabricated composites (calcinated and ball-milled calcinated bentonite) were studied. X-ray diffraction was utilized to illustrate the crystalline phase of the fabricated composites. Furthermore, Williamson and Hall’s method was used to determine the grain size of both the calcinated and ball-milled calcinated composites. The particle size, according to the calculation was 39.84 nm, and the strain was 0.216 for the calcinated bentonite, while the particle size of the ball-milled bentonite was 26.96 nm, and the strain was 0.219. In comparison, the transmission electron microscope (TEM) showed that the grain size of the calcinated bentonite was 566.59 nm, and it was 296.21 nm for the ball-milled calcinated bentonite. The density of the fabricated composites varied between 1.60 and 186 g/cm3 for the calcinated bentonite and between 1.83 and 2.075 g/cm3 for the ball-milled calcinated bentonite. Moreover, the radiation shielding capacity of the composites was analyzed. The results show that the gamma-ray attenuation capacity of ball-milled calcinated bentonite is high compared to ordinary calcinated bentonite. These results confirm the effect of particle grain size on optimizing the gamma-ray shielding capacity of the fabricated materials.

Impacts of the colemanite on the enhancement of the radiation shielding capacity of polypropylene

Impacts of the colemanite on the enhancement of the radiation shielding capacity of polypropylene