Computational Assessment of Polymer-Based Materials as Diagnostic X-Ray Beam Filters and their Implications on Environmental Challenges

Abstract

Conventional X-ray beam filters, such as Aluminum (Al), effectively remove low-energy photons but are often limited by rigidity, cost, and poor adaptability. Polymer-based materials offer a lightweight, flexible, and potentially sustainable alternative, although their filtration performance has not been comprehensively evaluated. This study computationally assessed seven polymers namely: Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA), Polycarbonate (PC), Polyethylene (PE), Polypropylene (PP), Polystyrene (PS), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), and Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) as alternative diagnostic X-ray beam filters and compared with Al, Copper (Cu), Tin (Sn), and Tantalum (Ta). X-ray spectra were simulated using SpekPy v2.0.8 under routine diagnostic exposure conditions (66–90 kVp) with 2.5 mm inherent Aluminum filtration. PTFE transmitted significantly more photons than Aluminum (p < 0.05), while PVC demonstrated attenuation which is equivalent to Aluminum across all examinations. In contrast, Cu, Sn, and Ta produced excessive attenuation at the tested thickness. These findings identify PVC as a promising alternative diagnostic X-ray beam filter, combining attenuation performance comparable to Aluminum with the added advantages of reduced weight, flexibility, recyclability, and potential for sustainable reuse