Evaluation of radiation protection properties of novel concrete mixture against photon energy in nuclear applications: simulation and experimental findings

Abstract

This study aims to develop highly effective radiation shielding materials for nuclear applications. It investigates concrete mixtures containing barite from five ore sites in Southeast Morocco, emphasising their gamma and X-ray shielding capabilities. Simulations compare four mixtures from each site. Samples with superior radiation attenuation are experimentally tested for validation of the results obtained by MCNP, DOSIMEX, and XCOM. The study reveals a concrete blend (16% cement, 69% Agdz ore barite, 5% sand, and 10% water) as an excellent radiation shield. The Agdz site, with 57.48% barite content, proves the most effective. Good agreement between calculated and empirical data highlights the research's reliability. Dose rate investigations show a 6% average gap between MCNP and DOSIMEX and a 9% difference between DOSIMEX and experiments.