article · Journal of Radiation Research and Applied Sciences
Finding non-toxic, flexible alternatives to lead for gamma-ray shielding remains a priority across industries exposed to ionizing radiation. This research examines the radiation attenuation performance of diverse commercial elastomers and fluoro-rubbers using FLUKA and EGSnrc Monte Carlo simulation codes. Testing across photon energy levels from 59.5 to 1408 keV reveals distinct performance profiles based on material composition. Polychloroprene, epichlorohydrin, and chlorosulfonated polyethylene rubbers perform efficiently at lower energies between 59.5 and 80.9 keV, and show promise for gamma sources below 0.3 MeV when exposure build-up factors are considered. Lower-density elastomers, including natural rubber, silicone, and nitrile butadiene rubber, demonstrate better radioprotective properties at higher energies from 244.7 to 1408 keV. Fluorocarbon rubber delivers the highest overall attenuation because of its high density, offering critical comparative data for radiation shielding applications.
Traditional gamma radiation shields rely heavily on lead, which is toxic and inflexible. By identifying how different commercial rubbers absorb radiation across varying energy bands, this work supports the design of safer, lighter, and more flexible protective gear and barriers for workers and equipment in nuclear and medical environments.
The findings could guide manufacturers of protective equipment and radiation barriers in selecting appropriate commercial rubbers tailored to specific gamma energy levels. The research is computational, based on Monte Carlo simulations, placing it at an early stage that requires physical prototyping and empirical testing before commercial adoption.
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Gamma-ray shielding without lead remains a critical challenge in various industries due to the potential health hazards posed by ionizing radiation. This study addresses the need for effective, flexible shielding materials by investigating the radiation attenuation properties of commercial rubbers. Monte Carlo simulations using FLUKA and EGSnrc codes analyze various elastomers and fluoro-rubbers across photon energies ranging from 59.5 to 1408 keV. Polychloroprene (CR), epichlorohydrin (ECO), and chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSPE) rubbers were found to be highly efficient in the energy range of 59.5–80.9 keV. In contrast, elastomers with lower densities such as natural rubber (NR), silicone rubber (SR), ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM), styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), exhibit superior radioprotective properties within the energy range of 244.7–1408 keV. Moreover, linear attenuation coefficient (μ), mean free path (MFP), half-value layer (HVL), and tenth-value layer (TVL) were considered to determine the most effective polymer for reducing gamma photon penetration. While fluorocarbon rubber (FR) demonstrated superior attenuation owing to its high density, the examination of exposure build-up factors (EBF) highlights ECO, CSPE, and CR as promising shielding media for gamma radiation sources with energy below 0.3 MeV. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the suitability of various rubber materials for gamma radiation shielding, offering valuable data and insights for technological applications and scientific fields of radiation chemistry.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.jrras.2024.100834
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