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Reinforced polymer composites are a recent type of advanced shielding material that has been studied experimentally and theoretically. This work described the protection properties of silicon rubber filled with nano and micro tin oxide (II). These shielding materials are evaluated by parameters such as mass attenuation coefficient, linear attenuati...
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... The attenuation of gamma beams by polymeric materials is a current area of research that is interesting [5,9]. Polymer composites were extensively researched as substitute radiation-protective materials to get over these restrictions [10]. Polymers are helpful because of their flexibility in applications that call for a certain quality despite having very poor mechanical qualities. ...
... This inherent characteristic grants silicone rubber superior heat resistance, exceptional chemical stability, and outstanding electrical insulation properties. Gouda M. M. et al. [10] demonstrated that the radiation protection properties of silicon rubber composites are influenced by the particle size and weight fraction of tin oxide. The effectiveness of shielding protection was assessed by measuring the linear attenuation coefficient and calculating the buildup factor. ...
... Additionally, an increase in aluminum oxide concentration leads to higher values of the effective atomic number. Table 6 represents a comparison of the linear attenuation coefficient at different gamma ray energies between the data explained in Gouda M. M. et al. [10] where silicon rubber is reinforced with 20% micro-and nanotin oxide. The comparison described that LAC of 20% tin oxide was higher than 40% aluminum oxide at low energies, but as the energy increased, the values of 40% micro-and nano-Al 2 O 3 /SR became higher than the values of 20% micro and nano tin oxide, and that is according to increasing the density of the composite. ...
Theoretical and practical research has been done on reinforced polymer composites, a more recent type of improved shielding material. This study examined the protective qualities of silicone rubber packed with nano- and micro-sized Al2O3. Aspects like the effective atomic number, mean free path, linear attenuation coefficient, and mass attenuation coefficient are used to evaluate these shielding materials. In terms of weight percentage and size, Al2O3 particles have been used to reinforce silicone rubber. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, UV visible spectrometer, thermal analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy have been investigated. The results show that aluminum oxide nanoparticles have a more homogeneous distribution within the samples than micro aluminum oxide particles, which is due to the fact that nanoparticles have a very large surface area-to-volume ratio when compared to the same material in bulk. As a result, the sample containing 40% by weight of nano Al2O3 has the largest attenuation coefficient value and the lowest half value layer (HVL), tenth value layer (TVL), and mean free path (MFP) values. Finally, it can be concluded that the sample containing nano Al2O3 can be utilized to create an innovative and versatile silicone rubber material. This material holds great potential for the manufacturing of gloves and protective jackets, specifically designed for radiation and nuclear shielding applications.
... These computations were done using the XCOM program. Equations can be used to do parabolic interpolation to determine the Z eq values [29]. Figure 12 illustrates the relation between photon energy and the Z eq values. ...
... At high energies, similar to low energies, the photons disappear, or their energy is significantly reduced. Hence, EBF and EABF values display a downward trend after 1 MeV [29][30][31]. ...
In the current study, the epoxy material was mixed with 10%, and 30% weight percent carbon material as filler in different thicknesses (1 cm, 1.5 cm, and 2 cm). Transmission electron microscope (TEM) measurements showed the average size of the nano-carbon was 20 nm with a standard deviation of 5 nm. The morphology of samples was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which showed the flatness of the epoxy surface, and when the content of carbon increases, the connection between the epoxy array and carbon increases. The compression test indicates the effect of nano-size on enhancing the mechanical properties of the studied samples. To survey the shielding properties of the epoxy/carbon composites using gamma-rays emitted from Am-241, Ba-133, Cs-137, Co-60, and Eu-152 sources, which covered a wide range of energies from 0.059 up to 1.408 MeV, the gamma intensity was measured using the NaI (Tl) detector. The linear and mass attenuation coefficients were calculated by obtaining the area under each peak of the energy spectrum observed from Genie 2000 software in the presence and absence of the sample. The experimental results obtained were compared theoretically with XCOM software. The comparison examined the validity of experimental results where the relative division rate ranged between 0.02 and 2%. Also, the measurement of the relative division rate between linear attenuation coefficients of micro- and nano-composites was found to range from 0.9 to 21% The other shielding parameters are calculated at the same range of energy, such as a half-value layer (HVL), mean free path (MFP), tenth-value layer (TVL), effective atomic number ( Z eff ), and the buildup factors (EBF and EABF). The data revealed a consistent reduction in the particle size of the shielding material across various weight percentages, resulting in enhanced radiation shielding capabilities. The sample that contains 30% nano-carbon has the lowest values of TVL (29.4 cm) and HVL (8.85 cm); moreover, it has the highest value of the linear attenuation coefficient (LAC), which makes it the best in its ability to attenuate radiation.
... Glass systems, characterized by their amorphous structure and unique properties, have emerged as a fascinating area of study within material science (Alzahrani et al., 2021;Gouda et al., 2023;Muthamma et al., 2021;Samdani et al., 2023;Tamam et al., 2022). Their diverse range of applications spans from architectural marvels, such as towering skyscraper facades, to intricate optical components found in high-resolution imaging systems (Chávez et al., 2022;Al-Buriahi et al., 2021a;Al-Hadeethi et al., 2020;Katubi et al., 2022; https://www.schott.com/en-gb/a). ...
... The interplay of its constituents, including oxides, borates, and silicates, allows for tailoring properties to meet specific demands, thereby enabling its integration into an array of modern technologies (Al-Buriahi, Abouhaswa, et al., 2020;Alshahrani et al., 2021;Basha et al., 2023;Katubi et al., 2023;Slimani et al., 2021;Yin et al., 2022). A notable aspect of glass systems that has garnered increasing attention in recent years is their potential application in radiation shielding (Alzahrani et al., 2021;Tamam et al., 2022;Muthamma et al., 2021;Samdani et al., 2023;Gouda et al., 2023;Chávez et al., 2022;Al-Buriahi et al., 2021a;Al-Hadeethi et al., 2020;Katubi et al., 2022; https://www.schott. com/en-gb/a; Basha et al., 2023;Yin et al., 2022;Katubi et al., 2023;Alshahrani et al., 2021;Slimani et al., 2021;Al-Buriahi, Abouhaswa, et al., 2020). ...
The present study aims to delve into sodium alumina-borate glass systems doped with transition metals by means of their optical properties and gamma attenuation performance, with a specific focus on their nuclear shielding applications. By leveraging advanced computational tools and simulation techniques, such as FLUKA and XCOM software, this research endeavours to investigate the optical properties and the gamma/radiation shielding ability of the glass system involved. The study seeks to elucidate the fundamental mechanisms governing optical transmission, radiation attenuation, and the overall shielding efficacy of these innovative glass systems. The results show that the optical properties as well as nuclear shielding ability of the glass system, including optical transmission, absorption coefficient, and half value layer (HVL), are significantly affected by Fe 2 O 3 concentrations. Therefore, the incorporation of transition metals leads to enhance the attenuation of gamma rays, indicating an increase in the material's shielding efficiency against incident radiation. The findings of this study have important implications for the design and development of glass materials for various applications, such as nuclear energy, radiation detection, and optical communication.
... (1) D = k /β cos θ Fig. 7 and measuring the corresponding strain. [25][26][27][28][29][30] . ...
Sheets of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) loaded with magnesium oxide in micro and nano were synthesized with different weight percentages of micro-MgO (0,5,10,20 and 30% by weight) and nano-MgO (5 and 30%) and shaped in form of disc and dog bone shape. The morphological, mechanical, and attenuation characteristics of each concentration were determined. The linear attenuation coefficients (LAC) of the prepared discs were calculated using a well-calibrated scintillation detector and five standard gamma-ray point sources (²⁴¹Am, ¹³³Ba, ¹³⁷Cs, ⁶⁰Co and ¹⁵²Eu). The LAC was theoretically calculated for HDPE/micro-MgO composites using XCOM software. A good agreement between the theoretical and experimental results was observed. The comparison between micro and nano-MgO as a filler in HDPE was evaluated. The results proved that the loaded nano-MgO in different proportions of HDPE produced greater attenuation coefficients than its micro counterpart. The addition of nano MgO with different weight percentage led to a significant improvement in the mechanical properties of HDPE, the ultimate force and ultimate stress increased as the concentration of nano MgO increased, and the young modulus of HDPE also increased with increasing concentration of micro and nano MgO.
... The tenth-value layer (TVL) is represented by the absorption thickness needed to decrease the incident radiation on the substance to 10% of its initial value [22,23]. ...
Due to the present industrial world, the risk of radioactivity is notably increasing. Thus, an appropriate shielding material needs to be designed to protect humans and the environment against radiation. In view of this, the present study aims to design new composites of the main matrix of bentonite–gypsum with a low-cost, abundant, and natural matrix. This main matrix was intercalated in various amounts with micro- and nanosized particles of bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) as the filler. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) recognized the chemical composition of the prepared specimen. The morphology of the bentonite–gypsum specimen was tested using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The SEM images showed the uniformity and porosity of a cross-section of samples. The NaI (Tl) scintillation detector was used with four radioactive sources (241Am, 137Cs, 133Ba, and 60Co) of various photon energies. Genie 2000 software was used to determine the area under the peak of the energy spectrum observed in the presence and absence of each specimen. Then, the linear and mass attenuation coefficients were obtained. After comparing the experimental results of the mass attenuation coefficient with the theoretical values from XCOM software, it was found that the experimental results were valid. The radiation shielding parameters were computed, including the mass attenuation coefficients (MAC), half-value layer (HVL), tenth-value layer (TVL), and mean free path (MFP), which are dependent on the linear attenuation coefficient. In addition, the effective atomic number and buildup factors were calculated. The results of all of these parameters provided the same conclusion, which confirms the improvement of the properties of γ-ray shielding materials using a mixture of bentonite and gypsum as the main matrix, which is much better than using bentonite alone. Moreover, bentonite mixed with gypsum is a more economical means of production. Therefore, the investigated bentonite–gypsum materials have potential uses in applications such as gamma-ray shielding materials.
... Additionally, the increased thickness of the interacting material as a result of the increased penetration depth of the materials causes an increase in scattering events in the interacting medium, particularly for the material with the greatest equivalent atomic number. As a result, the EBF values are high [36]. Figure 11a-c shows how the exposure build-up factor (EBF) varies with photon energy for penetration depths of up to 40 mfp for the samples CS, CS-mBi2O3, and CS-mBi2O3. ...
... Additionally, the increased thickness of the interacting material as a result of the increased penetration depth of the materials causes an increase in scattering events in the interacting medium, particularly for the material with the greatest equivalent atomic number. As a result, the EBF values are high [36]. Figure 11. ...
This study aims to explore the radiation protection properties of white mortars based on white cement as a binder and Bi2O3 micro and nanoparticles in proportions of 15 and 30% by weight as replacement sand. The average particle size of micro- and nano-Bi2O3 was measured using a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The cross-sectional morphology and distribution of Bi2O3 within the samples can be obtained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), showing that nanoscale Bi2O3 particles have a more homogeneous distribution within the samples than microscale Bi2O3 particles. The shielding parameters of the proposed mortars were measured using the HPGe detector at various γ-ray energies emitted by standard radioactive point sources 241Am, 133Ba, 60Co, 137Cs, and 152Eu. The experimental values of the prepared mortars’ mass attenuation coefficients (MAC) match well with those determined theoretically from the XCOM database. Other shielding parameters, including half value layer (HVL), tenth value layer (TVL), mean free path (MFP), effective electron density (Neff), effective atomic number (Zeff), equivalent atomic number (Zeq), and exposure buildup factor (EBF), were also determined at different photon energies to provide more shielding information about the penetration of gamma radiation into the selected mortars. The obtained results indicated that the sample containing 30% by weight of nano Bi2O3 has the largest attenuation coefficient value. Furthermore, the results show that the sample with a high concentration of Bi2O3 has the highest equivalent atomic numbers and the lowest HVL, TVL, MFP, and EBF values. Finally, it can be concluded that Bi2O3 nanoparticles have higher efficiency and protection compared to microparticles, especially at lower gamma-ray energies.
A comparative study was conducted to investigate the gamma and neutron radiation shielding properties of composites made from iron metal (micro and nano) dispersed within natural rubber (NR). The aim was to attenuate neutron and γ‐rays. The study utilized the gamma spectroscopy technique and the Monte Carlo FLUKA code. To assess the gamma ray shielding, a 3×3 Nal (Tl) detector and radioactive point sources were employed. Two comparative studies were carried out, one using Fe loaded NR (Fe/NR) composites in microsize and the other using Fe/NR composites in nanosize. The objective was to determine the impact of iron nanoparticles on the shielding ability of the composites. The findings revealed that the Fe/NR composites in nanosize exhibited superior gamma radiation shielding ability compared with the Fe/NR composites in microsize. These results were supported by the FLUKA Monte Carlo code, which demonstrated good agreement with both the experimental and theoretical XCOM data.
This study not only provides an innovative technique for producing rigid polyurethane foam (RPUF) composites, but it also offers a way to reuse metallurgical solid waste. Rigid polyurethane (RPUF) composite samples have been prepared with different proportions of iron slag as additives, with a range of 0–25% mass by weight. The process of grinding iron slag microparticles into iron slag nanoparticles powder was accomplished with the use of a high-energy ball mill. The synthesized samples have been characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, and Scanning Electron Microscope. Then, their radiation shielding properties were measured by using A hyper-pure germanium detector using point sources 241Am, 133 BA, 152 EU, 137Cs, and 60Co, with an energy range of 0.059–1.408 MeV. Then using Fluka simulation code to validate the results in the energy range of photon energies of 0.0001–100 MeV. The linear attenuation coefficient, mass attenuation coefficient, mean free path, half-value layer and tenth-value layer, were calculated to determine the radiation shielding characteristics of the composite samples. The calculated values are in good agreement with the calculated values. The results of this study showed that the gamma-ray and neutron attenuation parameters of the studied polyurethane composite samples have improved. Moreover, the effect of iron slag not only increases the gamma-ray attenuation shielding properties but also enhances compressive strength and the thermal stability. Which encourages us to use polyurethane iron-slag composite foam in sandwich panel manufacturing as walls to provide protection from radiation and also heat insulation.
