article · Scientific Reports
This research evaluates the radiation attenuation capabilities of a polymer nanocomposite composed of polystyrene embedded with lead oxide particles. The material was prepared by blending two distinct nanoscale sizes of lead oxide alongside a bulk-sized particle variant into polystyrene at concentrations of 10, 15, 25, and 35 weight percent. Using roll mill mixing and compression moulding, test samples of varying thicknesses were created and exposed to gamma-ray energies between 0.06 and 1.3 megaelectronvolts. The findings demonstrate that particle size significantly alters shielding efficiency. The composite containing the smallest nanoparticles achieved higher linear attenuation coefficients, particularly at lower energy levels. Overall, increasing particle concentration raised electron density and the effective atomic number. Furthermore, the resulting nanocomposites achieved a 70 percent reduction in mass compared to standard lead shielding while maintaining effective protective properties.
Traditional radiation shielding relies heavily on thick, heavy lead, which is difficult to transport and install. By substituting pure lead with a lightweight polystyrene nanocomposite containing lead oxide nanoparticles, this work demonstrates how smaller particle dimensions can drastically cut material mass without sacrificing gamma radiation protection, enabling easier handling and potentially safer operational environments.
This material is aimed at creating inexpensive, lightweight radiation shields for environments requiring gamma-ray protection. It could be relevant to manufacturers of radiation safety gear, transport containers, and medical or industrial shielding installations. Because the findings are based on laboratory synthesis and testing of material samples, the technology is at an early-stage research level and requires further industrial scaling and practical validation before real-world deployment.
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Abstract In this study, we investigated a novel polymer nano-composite, PS-PbO, containing two distinct nano-sizes of lead oxide nanoparticles (PbO-A and PbO-B), in addition to the bulk size (PbO-K). These nanoparticles were embedded separately in a polystyrene (PS) matrix at different weight percentages (10%, 15%, 25%, and 35%) using roll mill mixing and compressing molding. Our evaluation focused on the radiation attenuation ability of PS-PbO and the effect of particle size, considering gamma-ray energies ranging from 0.06 to 1.3 MeV (from sources like 241 Am, 133 Ba, 137 Cs, and 60 Co). The linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) was determined by analyzing samples of the synthesized composite with different thicknesses. Then, various shielding parameters were calculated, including total molecular, atomic, and electronic cross-sections ( σ mo l , σ atm , σ e l ), as well as the effective atomic number and the electron density ( Z eff and N eff ). Surprisingly, modifying PbO particle sizes had a significant impact on shielding efficiency. For instance, the composite with 25 wt% of the smallest PbO-B particles showed a 26.7% increase in LAC at 0.059 keV compared to the composite with 25 wt% of PbO-K (larger particles). Notably, the LAC peaked at low energy (0.059 keV), close to the K-edge of Pb, where interaction is directly proportional to Z 4 . With increasing PbO concentrations, the LAC of PS-PbO composites increased steadily. Additionally, as PbO concentration increased, the composite’s effective atomic number Z eff and the electron density N eff increased, leading to a greater total Gamma-ray interaction cross-section. Furthermore, when comparing the Half-Value Layers of the novel nanocomposite to traditional lead shielding, a 70% reduction in mass was observed. Notably, the composite containing the smallest nano-size of PbO exhibited the highest radiation-shielding efficiency among all combinations and could therefore be used to create inexpensive and lightweight shields.
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DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-69510-4
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