A novel comprehensive utilization of vanadium slag: As gamma ray shielding material

Physical, mechanical, and microstructural characterisation of tungsten carbide-based polymeric composites for radiation shielding application

Polymeric based composites have gained considerable attention as potential candidates for advanced radiation shielding applications due to their unique combination of high-density, radiation attenuation properties and improved mechanical strength. This study focuses on the comprehensive characterisation of polymeric based composites for radiation shielding applications. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physical, mechanical and microstructural properties of tungsten carbide-based epoxy resin and tungsten carbide cobalt-based epoxy resin for its efficiency in shielding against gamma-rays ranging from 0.6 up to 1.33 MeV. Polymeric composites with different weight percentages of epoxy resin (40 wt%, 35 wt%, 30 wt%, 25 wt%, 20 wt%, 15 wt% and 10 wt%) were fabricated, investigated and compared to conventional lead shield. The attenuation of the composites was performed using NaI (Tl) gamma-ray spectrometer to investigate the linear and mass attenuation coefficients, half value layer, and mean free path. High filler loadings into epoxy resin matrix (90% filler/10% epoxy) exhibited excellent gamma shielding properties. Mechanical properties, such as hardness were examined to assess the structural integrity and durability of the composites under various conditions. The fabricated composites showed a good resistance, the maximum hardness was attributed to composites with small thickness. The high loading of fillers in the epoxy matrix improved the microhardness of the composites. The distribution of the filler powder within the epoxy matrix was investigated using FESEM/EDX. The results revealed the successful incorporation of tungsten carbide and cobalt particles into the polymer matrix, leading to increased composite density and enhanced radiation attenuation. The unique combination of high-density, radiation attenuation, and improved mechanical properties positions polymeric based composites as promising candidates for radiation protection field.

A new method in the production of protective sheets against X-ray radiation

Today, the use of X-rays in diagnosing and sometimes treating patients is inevitable. Despite the many benefits of using X-rays in medical and other sciences, the harmful effects of this radiation on human tissue should not be neglected. One of the best ways to prevent the harmful effects of X-rays on the human body is to use appropriate covers against these rays. It seems that it is necessary to find effective particles to weaken X-rays and choose a suitable substrate with high mechanical resistance to scatter particles in it. In this study, the synthesis of SnO2 nanoparticles from SnCl2.2H2O precursor and BaSO4 nanoparticles from BaCl2.2H2O precursor using neem tree extract (Azadirachta indica) as a reducing and stabilizing agent is reported. After the synthesis of nanoparticles, their structure was investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. Then the desired composite and nanocomposite were prepared in the polymer substrate. The sheets were prepared using an extruder and then a hot hydraulic press. The output sheets had a thickness of 1 mm. The structural characteristics of the produced sheets such as surface morphology, density of prepared composites, mechanical properties, thermal gravimetric analysis and retention of loaded particles after three times washes were investigated. The X-ray attenuation capability of each sample was evaluated by calculating the linear attenuation coefficient for each prepared sample. The results show that all sheets filled with tin and barium micro and nano particles have more X-ray attenuation capabilities than pure polymer. Among the prepared sheets, the nanocomposite prepared from low-density polyethylene (77 %) + SnO2 (10 %) + BaSO4 (10 %) + multi-walled carbon nanotubes (3 %) showed the highest X-ray attenuation.

Impact of micro/nano cadmium oxide on shielding properties of cement-ball clay matrix

This study investigates the gamma radiation shielding properties of cement-ball clay matrix composites doped with micro- and nano-sized cadmium oxide (CdO) particles. The linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) was determined using a sodium iodide (NaI) detector and five radioactive point sources with energies ranging from 59.5 to 1408 keV. The LAC values obtained were compared to the XCOM database and found to be in good agreement. The composites' half-value layer (HVL), tenth value layer (TVL), mean free path (MFP), effective atomic number (Zeff), equivalent atomic number (Zeq), and absorption buildup factor (EABF) were determined. The results showed that the addition of CdO particles improved the radiation-shielding behavior of the composites and increasing the weight fraction of CdO particles increased the shielding effectiveness. The results also illustrated that when nano-sized CdO particles were compared to their micro-sized counterparts, there was a significant enhancement in radiation shielding effectiveness. For instance, a composite material composed of 50% cement, 41.7% ball clay, and 3.8% nano CdO at an energy level of 0.0595 MeV exhibited a remarkable 12.2% increase in attenuation, surpassing the performance of the micro-sized sample with an equivalent concentration. Similarly, another composite consisting of 50% cement, 33.3% ball clay, and 16.7% nano CdO demonstrated a significant 15.4% increase in attenuation at the same energy level, when compared to the micro-sized sample. The study demonstrates the potential of CdO-doped cement-ball clay matrix composites for gamma radiation shielding applications.

Mechanical, Morphological, Thermal and the Attenuation Properties of Heavy Mortars Doped with Nanoparticles for Gamma-Ray Shielding Applications

This study aimed to develop a mortar composite with improved gamma ray shielding properties using WO₃ and Bi₂O₃ nanoparticles, as well as granite residue as a partial replacement of sand. The physical properties and effects of sand substitution and nanoparticle addition on the mortar composite were analyzed. TEM analysis confirmed the size of Bi₂O₃ and WO₃ NPs to be 40 ± 5 nm and 35 ± 2 nm, respectively. SEM images showed that increasing the percentage of granite residues and nanoparticles improved the homogeneity of the mixture and decreased the percentage of voids. TGA analysis indicated that the thermal properties of the material improved with the increase in nanoparticles, without decreasing the material weight at higher temperatures. The linear attenuation coefficients were reported and we found that the LAC value at 0.06 MeV increases by a factor of 2.47 when adding Bi₂O₃, while it is enhanced by a factor of 1.12 at 0.662 MeV. From the LAC data, the incorporation of Bi₂O₃ nanoparticles can greatly affect the LAC at low energies, and still have a small but noticeable effect at higher energies. The addition of Bi₂O₃ nanoparticles into the mortars led to a decrease in the half value layer, resulting in excellent shielding properties against gamma rays. The mean free path of the mortars was found to increase with increasing photon energy, but the addition of Bi₂O₃ led to a decrease in MFP and better attenuation, making the CGN-20 mortar the most ideal in terms of shielding ability among the prepared mortars. Our findings on the improved gamma ray shielding properties of the developed mortar composite have promising implications for radiation shielding applications and granite waste recycling.

Shielding Properties of Epoxy Matrix Composites Reinforced with MgO Micro- and Nanoparticles

The aim of the current study is to investigate the impact of introducing micro- and nanoparticle MgO as a filler into epoxy resin on the radiation shielding abilities of the prepared samples. To this end, we performed a gamma-radiation spectroscopy experiment with the help of an HPGe detector and Am-241, Cs-137, and Co-60 sources. We evaluated the particle size effect (PSE) and detected the maximum PSE value with the addition of 50 wt% MgO particles, indicating that nanoparticle MgO was more successful in shielding against incoming radiation than microparticle MgO. We compared the half-value layer (HVL) for the samples with 10 wt%, 20 wt%, and 30 wt % micro-MgO and nano-MgO and found that the HVL values were lower for the nanoparticle samples than for the microparticles samples, confirming that smaller particle sizes enhanced the shielding ability of the samples against radiation. The MFP results showed that epoxy matrices containing micro-MgO, for all investigated energies, resulted in higher MFP values that those containing nano-MgO.

Impact of WO3-Nanoparticles on Silicone Rubber for Radiation Protection Efficiency

Silicone rubbers are a good choice for shielding materials because of having elastic and attenuating properties as well as cost-effectiveness. Thus, the aim of this study was to prepare ground-breaking silicone rubber samples by adding WO₃-nanoparticles and testing the performance of their radiation shielding ability against Cs-137, Co-60, and Am-241 gamma energy. Increasing the concentration of WO₃ nanoparticles in silicone rubber (SR) led to decreasing the half-value layer (HVL) and mean free path (MFP) values determined for the samples tested. Furthermore, the values of MFP and HVL upsurged according to the enhancement of the photon energy. It is noteworthy that the prepared silicone rubber (SR) systems with 50 and 60 wt% concentrations of WO₃-nanoparticles displayed lower HVL than the Bi₂O₃-containing silicone rubber (SR) systems. In the same way, studied silicone rubber SR-W60 represented the lowest HVL comprising iron ore containing silicone rubber.

Impact of ZnO Modifier Concentration on TeO2 Glass Matrix for Optical and Gamma-Ray Shielding Capabilities

This study carried out a comparison of the optical and gamma ray shielding features of TeO₂ with and without ZnO modifier concentration. Incorporating ZnO into the TeO₂ network reduces the indirect band gap from 3.515–3.481 eV. When ZnO is added, refractive indices, dielectric constants, and optical dielectric constants rise from 2.271–2.278, 5.156–5.191, and 4.156–4.191 accordingly. The transmission coefficient and reflection loss are in direct opposition to each other. With increasing ZnO concentration in the selected glasses, the values of molar refractivity and molar polarizability decrease from 18.767–15.018 cm³/mol and from 7.444 × 10⁻²⁴–5.957 × 10⁻²⁴ cm³, respectively, while the electronic polarizability rises from 8.244 × 10²⁴–8.273 × 10²⁴, correspondingly. As expected by the metallization values, the glass systems are non-metallic. The linear attenuation coefficients (LAC) of the studied glass samples ensue through enhancing the photon energy range 0.0395–0.3443 MeV. There is a very slow decrease in the LAC from an energy of 0.1218–0.3443 MeV, yet there is a sharp decrease from an energy of 0.0401–0.0459 MeV. According to the obtained values of numerous shielding parameters such as LAC, MAC, HVL, MFP, and Z_eff sample, Zn30 has shown the best radiation shielding ability comprising other studied samples.

Green Conversion of the Hazardous Cathode Ray Tube and Red Mud into Radiation Shielding Concrete

The present investigation was aimed at the utilization of alternate materials, emphasizing hazardous industrial products (red mud and cathode ray tubes), as constituents of radiation shielding concrete. The usage of these hazardous industrial products improves the sustainability and performance of the radiation shielding concrete. Five concrete blocks were cast and their density, compressive strength, gamma shielding factors, radiation absorption ratio, and transmission factor were explored. For this purpose, gamma-ray shielding measurements were done with the help of an HPGe detector. Mix-1, with zero contents of red mud and CRTs, had the lowest LAC. The LAC results demonstrated that the shielding performance of the current concretes would be better with the increase in red mud and cathode ray tube glass. The Transmission factor (TF) for the prepared concretes with a thickness of 2 cm varied between 11.9–26.1% at 0.06 MeV, while it varied between 4–13% for a thickness of 3 cm. The TF results showed that the composites with a thickness of 2, 3, or 5 cm are good shields against lower energy radiation. The radiation absorption ratio (RAR) for the prepared concretes is high at low energy, suggesting that these new composites can absorb most of the low-energy photons. The RAR results emphasize that the increase in CRTs in the new composites enhanced the radiation shielding features, and when the CRT glass is at a maximum, more attenuation was achieved.

Investigation of the Gamma-ray Shielding Performance of CuO-CdO-Bi2O3 Bentonite Ceramics

The purpose of this research is to identify the radiation shielding capability of ceramics adding CuO, CdO, and Bi₂O₃ with diverse wt (%). The chemical compositions of the raw ceramics were documented through Energy Dispersive X-ray “EDX” techniques. For aesthetic appeal and solidification, CuO has been chosen to be added to ceramic. Moreover, in the interest of increasing the radiation shielding ability, the high atomic number and density of both CdO and Bi₂O₃ were suggested for the raw ceramics. To obtain the morphological features of the prepared ceramic samples, a Scanning Electron Microscope, or SEM, was utilized. To verify the experimental results, the MCA value obtained from the Phy-X software was compared to the experimental value collected from the HPGe detector. At energies 0.06 MeV, 0.662 MeV, 1.173 MeV, and 1.333 MeV the linear and mass attenuation coefficients of the prepared ceramics have been measured using a high purity germanium “HPGe” detector as well as three different point sources. Moreover, the relationship between ln(I) and the thickness of the ceramics has been presented here, and the comparison between the LAC of the prepared ceramics with other materials has also been displayed. Bentonite ceramic containing CuO (15 mol %)-CdO (15 mol %)-Bi₂O₃ (20 mol %) with density 3.6 showed the lowest HVL, MFP, and TVL at all studied energies, yet pure Bentonite ceramic containing only CuO (50 mol %), having density 3.4, presented the greatest values. Hence, it can be concluded that the addition of CdO and Bi₂O₃ enhances the radiation shielding ability.

Design and Gamma-Ray Attenuation Features of New Concrete Materials for Low- and Moderate-Photons Energy Protection Applications

We aimed, in this investigation, to prepare novel concretes which can be used in gamma-ray shielding applications. The experimental approach was performed using a NaI (Tl) detector to measure the concrete’s shielding features for different energies, ranging from 0.081 MeV to 1.408 MeV. The density of the fabricated concretes decreased with increasing W/C ratio, where the density decreased by 2.680 g/cm³, 2.614 g/cm³, and 2.564 g/cm³ for concretes A, B, and C, respectively, with increases in the W/C ratio of 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8, respectively. When the energy was elevated between 0.08 MeV and 1.408 MeV, the highest values were attained for concrete A, with values ranging between 0.451 cm⁻¹ and 0.179 cm⁻¹. The lowest half-value layer (Δ_0.5) values were achieved for concrete C, where the Δ_0.5 values varied between 1.53 cm and 3.86 cm between 0.08 MeV and 1.408 MeV. The highest Δ_0.5 values were achieved for concrete A, where the Δ_0.5 varied between 1.77 cm and 4.67 cm between 0.08 MeV and 1.408 MeV. According to this investigation, concrete A has the highest promise in radiation shielding purposes because it has the most desirable properties of the concretes studied.

A Study on the Gamma Radiation Protection Effectiveness of Nano/Micro-MgO-Reinforced Novel Silicon Rubber for Medical Applications

In this work, we examined novel polymer composites for use in radiation protection applications. These prepared polymers are non-toxic compared with lead and show potential to be used as protective gear in different medical applications where low-energy photons are utilized. We prepared silicon rubber (SR) with different concentrations of micro- and nano-sized MgO. We used a HPGe detector to measure radiation attenuation factors at different photon energies, ranging from 59.6 to 1333 keV. We reported the effect of particle size on the attenuation parameters and found that the linear attenuation factors for SR with nano-MgO were higher than for SR with micro-MgO. The mean free path (MFP) for pure SR and SR with micro- and nano-sized MgO were determined, and we found that silicon rubber with MgO (both micro- and nano-sized) has a lower MFP than pure SR. The linear attenuation coefficient results show the importance of using SR with high MgO content for low-energy radiation protection applications. Moreover, the half-value layer (HVL) results demonstrate that we need a certain thickness of SR with nano-MgO to effectively reduce the intensity of the low-energy photons.

Study on the Gamma Irradiation Characteristics of a Carbon Nanotube Sponge/Polydimethylsiloxane/Tungsten Oxide Flexible Force-Sensitive Structure

This paper proposes a new type of flexible force-sensitive structure that is resistant to gamma radiation and is made of tungsten oxide (WO3) powder, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and carbon nanotube (CNT) sponge. The thickness of the sample was 2.2 mm, the middle interlayer was composed of a carbon nanotube (CNT) sponge and PDMS to form a conductive layer, and the upper and lower layers were made of tungsten oxide and PDMS, which formed a gamma-ray shielding layer. When the particle size of the tungsten oxide powder was 50 nm, 100 nm, and 1 µm, the composite force-sensitive structure exhibited better force-sensitive performance. The composite force-sensitive structure was irradiated with doses of 5, 20, 50, and 100 KGy through 60Co- rays with an energy of 1.25 MeV. The results showed that the force-sensitive characteristics changed little in significance after irradiation by different doses of gamma rays, indicating that the force-sensitive structure has good resistance to gamma radiation. This flexible stress sensor can be used in soft robots and health inspection, even in harsh environments without significant performance loss.

Mechanical property evaluation of tellurite–germanate glasses and comparison of their radiation-shielding characteristics using EPICS2017 to other glass systems

In this study, four tellurite–germanate glasses containing zinc, lithium, and bismuth with varied Bi2O3 and TeO2 amounts were investigated. The mechanical qualities of sample glasses were investigated and associated with their structural properties. Furthermore, the radiation-shielding capabilities of N1–N4 glasses were evaluated at 0.662 MeV using EPICS2017. The radiation-shielding characteristics were compared with the radiation-shielding parameters published in the literature for various glass systems. When TeO2 was replaced with Bi2O3, Young’s and bulk moduli of the material decreased. The L values of glasses were higher than their S values (14–13 GPa), indicating that they can tolerate longitudinal stress better than shear stress and can be bent rather than elongated readily. The MACs calculated were comparable to those obtained using WinXcom. The tenth-value layer (TVL) of all of the sample glasses was higher than that of the bismuth aluminosilicate glasses. All of the borate glass systems containing bismuth, sodium, and antimony had lower TVLs than N1–N3 glasses. The half-value layer was more in the N4 glass with the greatest Bi2O3 content than those in 50 and 60 mol% PbO-containing strontium borate glasses.

Influence of ZnF2 and WO3 on Radiation Attenuation Features of Oxyfluoride Tellurite WO3-ZnF2-TeO2 Glasses Using Phy-X/PSD Software

The radiation shielding features of the ternary oxyfluoride tellurite glasses were studied by calculating different shielding factors. The effect of the TeO2, WO3, and ZnF2 on the tested glass system’s attenuating performance was predicted from the examination. The mass attenuation coefficient (µ/ρ) values for the oxyfluoride tellurite glasses depend highly on the concentration of WO3, as well as ZnF2. All the present ZnFWTe1-ZnFWTe5 samples have higher µ/ρ values than that of the pure TeO2 glass at all energies. For the samples with a fixed content of WO3, the replacement of TeO2 by ZnF2 increases the µ/ρ, while for the glasses with a fixed content of TeO2, the replacement of WO3 by ZnF2 results in a decline in the µ/ρ values. The results revealed that ZnFWTe4 has the lowest linear attenuation coefficient (µ) among the oxyfluoride tellurite glasses, whereby it has a slightly higher value than pure TeO2 glass. The maximum effective atomic number (Zeff) is found at 0.284 MeV and varied between 31.75 and 34.30 for the tested glasses; it equaled to 30.29 for the pure TeO2 glass. The half-value layer (HVL) of the glasses showed a gradual decline with increasing density. The pure TeO2 was revealed to have thicker HVL than the selected oxyfluoride tellurite glasses. A 1.901-cm thickness of the sample, ZnFWTe1, is required to decrease the intensity of a photon with an energy of 0.284 MeV to one-tenth of its original, whereas 1.936, 1.956, 2.212, and 2.079 cm are required for glasses ZnFWTe2, ZnFWTe3, ZnFWTe4, and ZnFWTe5, respectively.

Examinations the optical, mechanical, and shielding properties of Ag2O doped B2O3-Bi2O3-SrF2-Na2O glasses for gamma ray shield applications

A series of five glass samples have a chemical composition of (55-x) B₂O₃ + 5 Bi₂O₃ + 20SrF₂ + 20Na₂O + xAg₂O with varied doping ratios x = 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 mol% were fabricated using the melt quenching technique to study the effect of B₂O₃ replacement by Ag₂O on the physical, mechanical, optical and gamma-ray shielding capacity of the fabricated glasses. The Cary 5000 UV–Vis–NIR measured the optical absorption in the wavelength range between 200 and 3000 nm. Based on the measured optical absorption, energy (direct/indirect) bandgap and Urbach energy were calculated. Moreover, the measured samples density, molar volume, packing density, dissociation energy, and mechanical properties for the fabricated glasses were calculated using the concepts of the Makishima-Mackenzie model. In this regard, the microhardness was decreased from 4.070 to 3.931 GPa with raising the Ag₂O concentration. The effect of B₂O₃ replacement on the shielding capacity was also evaluated using the Monte Carlo simulation. The simulation results showed that the replacement of B₂O₃ causes a significant increase in the shielding parameters like linear attenuation coefficient and radiation shielding capacity. The best radiation shielding properties were achieved for a glass sample with 4 mol% Ag₂O compound. Its linear attenuation coefficient varied between 8.091 and 0.134 cm⁻¹, raising the gamma photon energy between 0.059 and 2.506 MeV.

The Effect of WO3-Doped Soda Lime Silica SLS Waste Glass to Develop Lead-Free Glass as a Shielding Material against Radiation

The current study aims to enhance the efficiency of lead-free glass as a shielding material against radiation, solve the problem of the dark brown of bismuth glass, and reduce the accumulation of waste glass disposed in landfills by using soda-lime-silica SLS glass waste. The melt-quenching method was utilized to fabricate (WO3)x[(Bi2O3)0.2(ZnO)0.3(B2O3)0.2(SLS)0.3]1−x at 1200 °C, where x= (0, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, and 0.05 mol). Soda lime silica SLS glass waste, which is mostly composed of 74.1 % SiO2, was used to obtain SiO2. Radiation Attenuation parameters were investigated using narrow-beam geometry and X-ray fluorescence (XRF). Furthermore, the parameters related to radiation shielding were calculated. The results showed that when WO3 concentration was increased, the half-value layer was reduced, whereas the μ increased. It could be concluded that WBiBZn-SLS glass is a good shielding material against radiation, nontoxic, and transparent to visible light.

Influence of Bi2O3 on Mechanical Properties and Radiation-Shielding Performance of Lithium Zinc Bismuth Silicate Glass System Using Phys-X Software

We analyzed the mechanical properties and radiation-shielding performance of a lithium zinc bismuth silicate glass system. The composition of these glasses is 20ZnO-30Li₂O-(50-x)SiO₂-xBi₂O₃ (x varies between 10 and 40 mol%). The mechanical properties of the investigated glass system, such as Young’s modulus (E), bulk modulus (K), shear modulus (S), and longitudinal modulus (L), were determined using the Makishima–Mackenzie model. The elastic moduli gradually decreased with the addition of Bi₂O₃. E decreased from 46 to 31 GPa, K decreased from 27 to 14 GPa, S decreased from 19 to 14 GPa, and L decreased from 52 to 32 GPa as Bi₂O₃ was substituted for SiO₂. The mass attenuation coefficient (MAC) was investigated at energies between 0.284 and 1.33 MeV to understand the radiation-shielding performance of the glasses. The MAC value increased when SiO₂ was replaced by Bi₂O₃. We found that the effect of Bi₂O₃ on MAC values was noticeably stronger at energies of 0.284 and 0.347 MeV, while the effect of Bi₂O₃ on MAC values became weaker as energy increased. The linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) results demonstrated that if the samples were exposed to low-energy photons, the glass could prevent the penetration of photons, and thus, the glass samples were effective in radiation protection. The LAC values for the lowest- and highest-density samples changed from 0.998 to 1.976 cm⁻¹ (at 0.284 MeV) and from 0.286 to 0.424 cm⁻¹ (at 0.826 MeV). According to the radiation-shielding results, the thick, high-density glass sample has special and distinctive shielding properties.

Novel Shielding Mortars for Radiation Source Transportation and Storage

New types of mortar, M1 (60% sand, 25% cement, 10% ball clay, and 15% WO3), M2 (50% sand, 25% cement, 10% ball clay, and 25% WO3), M3 (60% sand, 25% cement, 10% Barite, and 15% WO3), and M4 (50% sand, 25% cement, 10% Barite, and 25% WO3), were prepared and the impact of WO3 and barite on their radiation shielding performance and mechanical properties was evaluated. The radiation attenuation factors were evaluated using five radioactive point sources, and a sodium iodide (NaI) scintillation detector (3″ × 3″) was used to detect the attenuation of gamma ray photons emitted from radioactive sources. The density values of the mortar samples lie within the range of 2.358 and 2.602 g/cm3. The compressive strength and the tensile strength of the prepared mortars increased with the increasing percentage of WO3. The M4 mortar had the highest linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) value. The LAC results demonstrated that adding barite and a high percentage of WO3 into the mortars notably enhanced the radiation shielding performance of the prepared mortar. The relationship between the half value layer (HVL) and the energy is direct, and so was used to calculate the thickness of mortar needed to absorb or scatter half the number of low-energy photons falling on the samples. At 0.06 MeV, the HVL values of the samples were 0.412, 0.280, 0.242, and 0.184 cm for samples M1–M4, respectively. The highest HVL values, obtained at 1.408 MeV, were 5.516, 5.202, 5.358, and 5.041 cm. Thus, a thinner layer of the M4 sample provided comparable attenuation of photons and radiation protection to the thicker M1–M3 samples. The new material is promising as an effective shield of radiation-emitting sources during transportation and long-term storage.

Development of Novel Transparent Radiation Shielding Glasses by BaO Doping in Waste Soda Lime Silica (SLS) Glass

In the current study, BaO was doped in Bi2O3-ZnO-B2O3-SLS glass to develop lead-free radiation shielding glasses and to solve the dark brown of bismuth glass. The melt-quenching method was utilized to fabricate (x) BaO (1 − x)[0.3 ZnO 0.2 Bi2O3 0.2 B2O3 0.3 SLS] (where x are 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, and 0.05 mol) at 1200 °C. Soda lime silica glass waste (SLS), which is mostly composed of 74.1% SiO2, was used to obtain SiO2. The mass attenuation coefficient (μm) was investigated utilizing X-ray fluorescence (XRF) at 16.61, 17.74, 21.17, and 25.27 keV and narrow beam geometry at 59.54, 662, and 1333 keV. Moreover, the other parameters related to gamma ray shielding properties such as half-value layer (HVL), mean free path (MFP), and effective atomic number (Zeff) were computed depending on μm values. The results indicated that HVL and MFP decreased, whereas μm increased with an increase in BaO concentration. According to these results, it can be concluded that BaO doped in Bi2O3-ZnO-B2O3-SLS glass is a nontoxic, transparent to visible light, and a good shielding material against radiation.

Enhancement of Ceramics Based Red-Clay by Bulk and Nano Metal Oxides for Photon Shielding Features

We prepared red clays by introducing different percentages of PbO, Bi₂O₃, and CdO. In order to understand how the introduction of these oxides into red clay influences its attenuation ability, the mass attenuation coefficient of the clays was experimentally measured in a lab using an HPGe detector. The theoretical shielding capability of the material present was obtained using XCOM to verify the accuracy of the experimental results. We found that the experimental and theoretical values agree to a very high degree of precision. The effective atomic number (Z_eff) of pure red clay, and red clay with the three metal oxides was determined. The pure red clay had the lowest Z_eff of the tested samples, which means that introducing any of these three oxides into the clay will greatly enhance its Z_eff, and consequently its attenuation capability. Additionally, the Z_eff for red clay with 10 wt% CdO is lower than the Z_eff of red clay with 10 wt% Bi₂O₃ and PbO. We also prepared red clay using 10 wt% CdO nanoparticles and compared its attenuation ability with the red clay prepared with 10 wt% PbO, Bi₂O₃, and CdO microparticles. We found that the MAC of the red clay with 10 wt% nano-CdO was higher than the MAC of the clay with microparticle samples. Accordingly, nanoparticles could be a useful way to enhance the shielding ability of current radiation shielding materials.

Impact of Modifier Oxides on Mechanical and Radiation Shielding Properties of B2O3-SrO-TeO2-RO Glasses (Where RO = TiO2, ZnO, BaO, and PbO)

The influence of modifier oxides (TiO2, ZnO, BaO, and PbO) on the mechanical and radiation shielding properties of boro-tellurate glasses is investigated. Samples with a composition of B2O3-SrO-TeO2-RO (RO represents the modifier oxides) were fabricated using the melt quench method, and their physical, mechanical, and radiation attenuation parameters were reported. For this aim, Monte Carlo simulation was employed to predict the radiation attenuation parameters, while the Makishima-Mackenzie model was adopted to determine the mechanical properties. The tightly packed structure with better cross-linkage density is possessed by the Ti-containing glass (SBT-Ti) system among the titled glass batch. The higher Poisson and micro-hardness values of the SBT-Ti glass indicate its structure’s reduced free volume and better compactness. For the glass with PbO, the linear and mass attenuation coefficients are highly increased compared to those glasses doped with TiO2, ZnO, and BaO. The thinner half-value layer was reported at 0.015 MeV, taking values 0.006, 0.005, 0.004, and 0.002 for samples with TiO2, ZnO, BaO, and PbO, respectively. SBT-Pb sample (with PbO) has a thinner HVL compared to other fabricated glass samples. The fabricated glasses’ thickness (Deq) equivalent to 1 cm of lead (Pb) was reported. The results demonstrated that Deq is high at low energy and equals 11.62, 8.81, 7.61, 4.56 cm for SBT-Ti, SBT-Zn, SBT-Ba, and SBT-Pb glass samples, respectively. According to the Deq results, the fabricated glasses have a shielding capacity between 30 and 43% compared to the pure Pb at gamma-ray energy of 1.5 MeV. At high energy (8 MeV), the transmission factor values for a thickness of 1 cm of the fabricated samples reach 88.68, 87.83, 85.95, and 83.11% for glasses SBT-Ti, SBT-Zn, SBT-Ba, and SBT-Pb, respectively.

Investigation of Photon Radiation Attenuation Capability of Different Clay Materials

This work aims to experimentally report the radiation attenuation factors for four different clays (red, ball, kaolin and bentonite clays) at four selected energies (emitted from Am-241, Cs-137, and Co-60). The highest relative difference in the mass attenuation coefficient (MAC) is equal to −3.02%, but most of the other results are much smaller than this value, proving that the experimental and theoretical data greatly agree with each other. From the MAC results, the shielding abilities of the clay samples at 0.060 MeV follow the order of: bentonite > red > ball > kaolin. Thus, at low energies, the bentonite clay sample provides the most effective attenuation capability out of the tested clays. The half value layer (HVL) increases as energy increases, which suggests that, only a thin clay sample is needed to sufficiently absorb the radiation at low energies, while at higher energies a thicker sample is needed to shield the same amount of high energy radiated. Furthermore, bentonite clay has the lowest HVL, while the kaolin clay has the greatest HVL at all energies. The radiation protection efficiency (RPE) values at 0.060 MeV are equal to 97.982%, 97.137%, 94.242%, and 93.583% for bentonite clay, red clay, ball clay, and kaolin clay, respectively. This reveals that at this energy, the four clay samples can absorb almost all of the incoming photons, but the bentonite clay has the greatest attenuation capability at this energy, while kaolin clay has the lowest.

Gamma-Ray Protection Properties of Bismuth-Silicate Glasses against Some Diagnostic Nuclear Medicine Radioisotopes: A Comprehensive Study

This study aimed to perform an investigation for the potential implementation of bismuth silicate glasses as novel shield equipment instead of ordinary shields in nuclear medicine facilities. Accordingly, a group of Bi₂O₃ reinforced silicate glass system were investigated and compared with ordinary shields in terms of their gamma-ray attenuation properties in diagnostic nuclear medicine radioisotope energies emitted from ^99mTc, ¹¹¹In, ⁶⁷Ga, ¹²³I, ¹³¹I, ^81mKr, ²⁰¹Tl, ¹³³Xe. Mass attenuation coefficient (μm) results for glass samples were calculated comparatively with the XCOM program and MCNPX code. The gamma-ray attenuation parameters such as half value layer (HVL), tenth value layer (TVL), mean free path (MFP), effective atomic number (Z_eff) were obtained in the diagnostic gamma ray energy range from 75 to 336 keV. To confirm the attenuation performance of superior sample, obtained results were extensively compared with ordinary shielding materials. According to the results obtained, BISI6 glass sample with the highest Bi₂O₃ additive has an excellent gamma-ray protection.

Nuclear Radiation Shielding Characteristics of Some Natural Rocks by Using EPICS2017 Library

Radiation leakage is a serious problem in various technological applications. In this paper, radiation shielding characteristics of some natural rocks are elucidated. Mass attenuation coefficients (µ/ρ) of these rocks are obtained at different photon energies with the help of the EPICS2017 library. The obtained µ/ρ values are confirmed via the theoretical XCOM program by determining the correlation factor and relative deviation between both of these methods. Then, effective atomic number (Z_eff), absorption length (MFP), and half value layer (HVL) are evaluated by applying the µ/ρ values. The maximum μ/ρ values of the natural rocks were observed at 0.37 MeV. At this energy, the Z_eff values of the natural rocks were 16.23, 16.97, 17.28, 10.43, and 16.65 for olivine basalt, jet black granite, limestone, sandstone, and dolerite, respectively. It is noted that the radiation shielding features of the selected natural rocks are higher than that of conventional concrete and comparable with those of commercial glasses. Therefore, the present rocks can be used in various radiation shielding applications, and they have many advantages for being clean and low-cost products. In addition, we found that the EPICS2017 library is useful in determining the radiation shielding parameters for the rocks and may be used for further calculations for other rocks and construction building materials.

Influence of Li2O Incrementation on Mechanical and Gamma-Ray Shielding Characteristics of a TeO2-As2O3-B2O3 Glass System

According to the Makishema–Mackenzie model assumption, the dissociation energy and packing density for a quaternary TeO₂-As₂O₃-B₂O₃-Li₂O glass system were evaluated. The dissociation energy rose from 67.07 to 71.85 kJ/cm³, whereas the packing factor decreased from 16.55 to 15.21 cm³/mol associated with the replacement of TeO₂ by LiO₂ compounds. Thus, as a result, the elastic moduli (longitudinal, shear, Young, and bulk) were enhanced by increasing the LiO₂ insertion. Based on the estimated elastic moduli, mechanical properties such as the Poisson ratio, microhardness, longitudinal velocity, shear velocity, and softening temperature were evaluated for the investigated glass samples. In order to evaluate the studied glasses’ gamma-ray shield capacity, the MCNP-5 code, as well as a theoretical Phy-X/PSD program, were applied. The best shielding capacity was achieved for the glass system containing 25 mol% of TeO_2, while the lowest ability was obtained for the glass sample with a TeO₂ concentration of 5 mol%. Furthermore, a correlation between the studied glasses’ microhardness and linear attenuation coefficient was performed versus the LiO₂ concentration to select the glass sample which possesses a suitable mechanical and shielding capacity.

The Potentials of Egyptian and Indian Granites for Protection of Ionizing Radiation

This paper aims to study the radiation shielding characteristics and buildup factor of some types of granite in Egypt. The mass attenuation coefficient (MAC) for three types of granite (gandola, white halayeb, and red aswani) was experimentally determined, and the experimental results were validated by XCOM software. The relative deviation between the two methods does not exceed 3% in all discussed granite samples, which means that MAC calculated through the experimental and XCOM are in suitable agreement. The effective atomic number (Z_eff) varies from 13.64 to 10.69, 13.68 to 10.59, and 13.45 and 10.66 for gandola, white halayeb, and red aswani, respectively. As well as the equivalent atomic number (Z_eq) was calculated in a wide range of energy to deduce the exposure (EBF) and energy absorption (EABF) buildup factors for the studied granite materials. The linear attenuation coefficient (LAC), half-value layer (HVL), mean free path (MFP) were calculated at each investigated energy and showed that the most effective shielding ability at high energy was red aswani, while at low energy, the shielding ability was nearly constant for studied granites. The present study forms the first endeavor to obtain the radiation shielding properties of the studied materials to be used in practical applications.

Experimental and Theoretical Study of Radiation Shielding Features of CaO-K2O-Na2O-P2O5 Glass Systems

The gamma radiation shielding ability for CaO-K₂O-Na₂O-P₂O₅ glasses were experimentally determined between 0.0595 and 1.41 MeV. The experimental MAC results were compared with theoretical results obtained from the XCOM software to test the accuracy of the experimental values. Additionally, the effect of increasing the P₂O₅ in the glass composition, or reducing the Na₂O content, was evaluated at varying energies. For the fabricated glasses, the experimental data strongly agreed with the XCOM results. The effective atomic number (Z_eff) of the fabricated glasses was also determined. The Z_eff values start out at their maximum (12.41–12.55) at the lowest tested energy, 0.0595 MeV, and decrease to 10.69–10.80 at 0.245 MeV. As energy further increases, the Z_eff values remain almost constant between 0.344 and 1.41 MeV. The mean free path (MFP) of the fabricated glasses is investigated and we found that the lowest MFP value occurs at the lowest tested energy, 0.0595 MeV, and lies within the range of 1.382–1.486 cm, while the greatest MFP can be found at the highest tested energy, 1.41 MeV, within the range of 8.121–8.656 cm. At all energies, the KCNP40 sample has the lowest MFP, while the KCNP60 sample has the greatest. The half value layer (HVL) for the KCNP-X glasses is determined. For all the selected energies, the HVL values follow the order of KCNP40 < KCNP45 < KCNP50 < KCNP55 < KCNP60. The HVL of the KCNP50 sample increased from 0.996 to 2.663, 3.392, 4.351, and 5.169 cm for energies of 0.0595, 0.245, 0.444, 0.779, and 1.11 MeV, respectively. The radiation protection efficiency (RPE) results reveal that decreasing the P₂O₅ content in the glasses improves the radiation shielding ability of the samples. Thus, the KCNP40 sample has the best potential for photon attenuation applications.

X- ray absorption parameters studies of P2O5- SnCl2-SnO bioactive glass system

The main objective of this work is to explore the X-ray interaction properties of P2O5- SnCl2-SnO bioactive glass system using Photon Shielding and Dosimetry (Phys-X/PSD) software in the energy range 10-150 keV. The study of these parameters will have applications in various fields of nuclear medicine, medical technology, and other medical applications. The value of mass attenuation coefficients (μm) and effective atomic numbers (Zeff) decrease whereas the value of mean free path as well as half value layer increases with rises in energy in the selected energy range. The study results indicate that bioactive glass composition of T2 of chemical composition (35P2O5- 55SnCl2-10SnO) possesses the lowest value of mean free path (MFP), and highest value of μm, and Zeff, among the chemical composition.

Comparison of ITO and ZnO ternary glassy composites in terms of radiation shielding properties by Monte Carlo N-particle transport code and BXCOM

In the present study, radiation shielding properties of two glassy composite materials that are widely used in electronics, photovoltaic applications, and sensor technology, were investigated in the photon energy range from 15 keV to 15 MeV. The materials chosen were (ITO)/V₂O₅/B₂O₃ and ZnO/V₂O₅/B₂O₃ including various concentrations of B₂O₃. Radiation interaction was simulated and shielding parameters calculated by means of the MCNP and BXCOM codes. More specifically, buildup factors, effective electron density ([Formula: see text]) and effective atomic number ([Formula: see text]) were calculated with BXCOM, while mass attenuation coefficients ([Formula: see text]), half-value layer (HVL) and tenth-value layer (TVL) values were calculated with MCNP. The results were compared with those obtained with the WinXCOM code, for validation. Acceptable and preferable results were obtained for both composites as alternative to other glassy shielding materials. The composite including ITO showed better shielding properties than the composite including ZnO. In terms of radiation shielding, both composites turned out to be better than concrete and close to lead.

Study of environment friendly bismuth incorporated lithium borate glass system for structural, gamma-ray and fast neutron shielding properties

The present work is aimed at incorporating the heavy metal oxide 'bismuth oxide' in lithium-borate glass system and studying its effect on the glass structure, durability, gamma-ray and neutron shielding ability. The density, XRD, Raman, FTIR, and UV-Visible spectroscopic techniques assisted in understanding the structure of ternary bismuth‑lithium-borate glass system. It has been found that the glass samples are of amorphous nature and structure is mainly built up of BO₄, BO₃, BiO_6, BiO₃ units and non-bridging oxygens (NBOs). Bismuth-incorporated glasses possess improved water resistance ability. The gamma-ray shielding ability was evaluated from mass attenuation coefficient, mean free path, tenth value layer and effective atomic number and it was found to be improved with the addition of bismuth oxide content. The exposure build up factor was also computed to account for the secondary photons and multiple Compton scattering. The removal cross section for fast neutrons (∑_R) was also evaluated to study the neutron shielding ability of our prepared glasses. The glasses were also compared with barite concrete and commercial shielding glass RS 360 for gamma-rays and, with H₂O, graphite, ordinary and hematite-serpentine concrete for checking neutrons shielding ability. It was observed that our glasses have better radiation shielding properties than the compared materials. In the light of these obtained results, it was concluded that the prepared bismuth‑lithium-borate glass system can be utilised for radiation shielding applications.

Utilization of induction furnace steel slag in concrete as coarse aggregate for gamma radiation shielding

The present investigation highlights the utilization of Induction Furnace (IF) steel slag as a partial replacement for coarse aggregate in concrete. The concrete blocks of size 150 × 150 × 50 mm were casted and the effect of density, compressive strength, linear attenuation coefficient, Gamma Attenuation Factor (GAF) and Half Value Layer (HVL) has been explored. Gamma attenuation measurements were carried out using NaI (Tl) based gamma detector. Gamma ray source ⁶⁰Co emitting two gamma energies 1.17 and 1.33 MeV was used for radiation measurements. The results of this present study shows that 50% of IF steel slag replacement increases the density (2.81 g/cm³) and compressive strength (29.11 N/mm²). The Linear attenuation coefficient (0.1953 cm^-1-0.2236 cm^-1) and GAF (0.6343-0.6710) is higher at 50% replacement of IF steel slag than conventional concrete. HVL values were also having positive impact in 50% replacement of IF steel slag (3.10 cm) in concrete than conventional concrete (3.55 cm). The partial replacement of IF steel slag as coarse aggregate in concrete is effective in gamma shielding.