Study of radiation shielding properties of the Polycaprolactone/Iron and Bismuth oxides polymer composite

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Abstract

The increasing development of nuclear science and related applications in various fields facing humans and the environment with ionizing rays, inevitably. The exposure of these rays to the human body can cause many side effects. Therefore, we need a protective shield to prevent or at least decrease these complications. Lead is the best known material in nature which can efficiently attenuate X and gamma rays. Toxicity and heaviness of lead limit its radiation shielding applications. Replacing lead with other heavy elements and placing the particles in a polymer substrate can alleviate the problem of toxicity and heaviness to some extent. Also, according to research, the use of nanoparticles instead of bulk particles, especially at low energy, is expected to increase the protection performance. In this study, the compounds of bismuth oxide and iron oxide in polycaprolactone polymer substrate were investigated. The attenuation of gamma rays emitted from two sources of 137CS and 60Co when passing through the manufactured samples were measured. The results show an increase in the radiation attenuation capability of both types of polymers made with nanoparticles compared to bulk compounds. As expected, the effects of particle size reduction on radiation attenuation are more pronounced in the case of 137CS source.  The results show that the half-layer thickness decreased by 48 (37) percent for the bismuth oxide sample and 36 (21) percent for the iron oxide sample for gamma rays emitted from the 137Cs (60Co) source.

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