• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제50권6호
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• pp.957-962
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• 2018

The gamma radiation shielding capability (GRSC) of two clay-materials (Ball clay and Kaolin)of Southwestern Nigeria ($7.49^{\circ}N$, $4.55^{\circ}E$) have been investigated by determine theoretically and experimentally the mass attenuation coefficient, ${\mu}/{\rho}(cm^2g^{-1})$ of the clay materials at photon energies of 609.31, 1120.29, 1173.20, 1238.11, 1332.50 and 1764.49 keV emitted from $^{214}Bi$ ore and $^{60}Co$ point source. The mass attenuation coefficients were theoretically evaluated using the elemental compositions of the clay-materials obtained by Particle-Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) elemental analysis technique as input data for WinXCom software. While gamma ray transmission experiment using Hyper Pure Germanium (HPGe) spectrometer detector to experimentally determine the mass attenuation coefficients, ${\mu}/{\rho}(cm^2g^{-1})$ of the samples. The experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical calculations of WinXCom software. Linear attenuation coefficient (${\mu}$), half value layer (HVL) and mean free path (MFP) were also evaluated using the obtained ${\mu}/{\rho}$ values for the investigated samples. The GRSC of the selected clay-materials have been compared with other studied shielding materials. The cognizance of various factors such as availability, thermo-chemical stability and water retaining ability by the clay-samples can be analyzed for efficacy of the material for their GRSC.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국신재생에너지학회 2006년도 춘계학술대회
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• pp.33-36
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• 2006

The effective thermal conductivities of $Mm\;(La_{0.6-0.8})\;Ni_{4.0}Co_{0.6}Mn_{0.2}Al_{0.2}$ (TL-492) with hydrogen and helium have been examined. Experiment results show that pressure has great influence on effective thermal conductivity in Low pressure range (below 0.5 MPa). And that influence decreases rapidly with increase of gas pressure. The reason is at low pressure, the mean free path of gas becomes greater than effective thickness of gas film which is important to the heat transfer mechanism in this research. And, carbon fibers have been used to try to enhance the poor thermal conductivity of TL-492. Three types of carbon fibers and three mass fractions have been examined and compared. Naturally, the highest effective thermal conductivity has been reached with carbon fiber which has highest thermal conductivity, and highest mass fraction. This method has acquired 4.33 times higher thermal conductivity than pure metal hydrides with quite low quantity of additives, only 0.99wt% of carbon fiber. This is a good result comparing to other method which can reach higher effect ive thermal conductivity but needs much higher mass fraction of additives too.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제53권1호
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• pp.282-293
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• 2021

This paper examines gamma-ray shielding properties of SBC-Bx glass system with the chemical composition of 40SiO₂-10B₂O₃-xBaO-(45-x)CaO- yZnO- zMgO (where x = 0, 10, 20, 30, and 35 mol% and y = z = 6 mol%). Mass attenuation coefficient (µ/ρ) which is an essential parameter to study gamma-ray shielding properties was obtained in the photon energy range of 0.015-15 MeV using PHITS Monte Carlo code for the proposed glasses. The obtained results were compared with those calculated by WinXCOM program. Both the values of PHITS code and WinXCOM program were observed in very good agreement. The (µ/ρ values were then used to derive mean free path (MFP), electron density (N_eff), effective atomic number (Z_eff), and half value layer (HVL) for all the glasses involved. Additionally, G-P method was employed to estimate exposure buildup factor (EBF) for each glass in the energy range of 0.015-15 MeV up to penetration depths of 40 mfp. The results reveal that gamma-ray shielding effectiveness of the SBC-Bx glasses evolves with increasing BaO content in the glass sample. Such that SBC-B35 glass has superior shielding capacity against gamma-rays among the studied glasses. Gamma-ray shielding properties of SBC-B35 glass were compared with different conventional shielding materials, commercial glasses, and newly developed HMO glasse. Therefore, the investigated glasses have potential uses in gamma shielding applications.

• 한국표면공학회지
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• 제54권1호
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• pp.25-29
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• 2021

The fabrication of nanopore membrane by deposition of Al2O3 film using electron-beam evaporation, which is fast, cost-effective, and negligible dependency on substance material, is investigated for potential applications in water purification and sensors. The decreased nanopore diameter owing to increased wall thickness is observed when Al2O3 film is deposited on anodic aluminum oxide membrane at higher deposition rate, although the evaporation process is generally known to induce a directional film deposition leading to the negligible change of pore diameter and wall thickness. This behavior can be attributed to the collision of evaporated Al2O3 particles by the decreased mean free path at higher deposition rate condition, resulting in the accumulation of Al2O3 materials on both the surface and the edge of the wall. The reduction of nanopore diameter by Al2O3 film deposition can be applied to the nanopore membrane fabrication with sub-100 nm pore diameter.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제54권6호
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• pp.2253-2261
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• 2022

In this study, nano-scaled shielding materials were assembled and fabricated by doping different weight percentages of Nano-mercuric oxide (N-HgO) into Nano-Bentonite (N-Bent) based on using (100-x% N-Bent + x% N-HgO, x = 10, 20, 30, and 40 wt %). The fabricated N-HgO/N-Bent nanocomposites were characterized by FT-IR, XRD, and SEM and evaluated to evaluate their shielding properties toward gamma radiation by using four different γ-ray energies form three point sources; 356 keV from ¹³³Ba, 662 keV from ¹³⁷Cs as well as 1173, and 1332 keV from ⁶⁰Co. The γ-rays mass attenuation coefficients were plotted as a function of the doped N-HgO concentrations into N-HgO/N-Bent nanocomposites. The computed values of mass attenuation coefficients (µ_m), effective atomic number (Z_eff) and electron density (N_el) by the as-prepared samples were found to increase, while the half value layer (HVL) and mean free path (MFP) were identified to decrease upon increasing the N-HgO contents. It was concluded also that the increase in N-HgO concentration led to a direct increase in the mass attenuation coefficient from 0.10 to 0.17 cm²/g at 356 keV and from 0.08 to 0.09 cm²/g at 662 keV. However, a slight increase was observed in the identified mass attenuation coefficients at (1172 and 1332 keV).

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제55권9호
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• pp.3441-3449
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• 2023

We determined the radiation shielding properties for 10CaO-xPbO-(90-x) deteriorated silica gel (DSG) glass system (x = 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, and 45 mol.%). The mass attenuation coefficient (MAC) has been estimated at photon energies of 74.23, 97.12, 122, 662, 1173, and 1332 keV using a narrow beam X-ray attenuation and transmission experiment, the XCOM program, and a PHITS simulation. The obtained MAC values were applied to estimate the half value layer (HVL), mean free path (MFP), effective atomic number, and effective electron density. Results show that the MAC value of the studied glasses ranges between 0.0549 and 1.4415 cm²/g, increases with the amount of PbO, and decreases with increasing photon energy. The HVL and MFP values decrease with increasing PbO content and increase with increasing photon energy. The recycled glass, with the addition of PbO content (20-45 mol.%), exhibited excellent radiation shielding capabilities compared to standard barite and ferrite concretes and some glass systems. Moreover, the experimental radiation shielding parameters agree with the XCOM and PHITS values. This study suggests that this new waste-recycled glass is an effective and cost-saving candidate for X-ray and gamma-ray shielding applications.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제48권4호
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• pp.184-196
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• 2023

Background: Radiation protection is crucial in various fields due to the harmful effects of radiation. Shielding is used to reduce radiation exposure, but gamma radiation poses challenges due to its high energy and penetration capabilities. Materials and Methods: This work investigates the radiation shielding properties of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) samples containing different weight fraction of tungsten carbide (WC), tungsten trioxide (WO₃), and tungsten disulfide (WS₂). Parameters such as the mass attenuation coefficient (MAC), half-value layer (HVL), mean free path (MFP), effective atomic number (Z_eff), and macroscopic effective removal cross-section for fast neutrons (Σ_R) were calculated using the Phy-X/PSD software. EpiXS simulations were conducted for MAC validation. Results and Discussion: Increasing the weight fraction of the additives resulted in higher MAC values, indicating improved radiation shielding. PVDF-xWC showed the highest percentage increase in MAC values. MFP results indicated that PVDF-0.20WC has the lowest values, suggesting superior shielding properties compared to PVDF-0.20WO₃ and PVDF-0.20WS₂. PVDF-0.20WC also exhibited the highest Z_eff values, while PVDF-0.20WS₂ showed a slightly higher increase in Z_eff at energies of 0.662 and 1.333 MeV. PVDF-0.20WC has demonstrated the highest Σ_R value, indicating effective shielding against fast neutrons, while PVDF-0.20WS₂ had the lowest Σ_R value. The Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport version 5 (MCNP5) simulations showed that PVDF-xWC attenuates gamma radiation more than pure PVDF, significantly decreasing the dose equivalent rate. Conclusion: Overall, this research provides insights into the radiation shielding properties of PVDF mixtures, with PVDF-xWC showing the most promising results.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제56권1호
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• pp.301-308
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• 2024

Ceramic materials are being explored as alternatives to toxic lead sheets for radiation shielding due to their favorable properties like durability, thermal stability, and aesthetic appeal. However, crafting effective ceramics for radiation shielding entails complex processes, raising production costs. To investigate local viability, this study evaluated Malaysian ceramic tiles for shielding in diagnostic X-ray rooms. Different ceramics in terms of density and thickness were selected from local manufacturers. Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) characterized ceramic compositions, while Monte Carlo Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (MC PHITS) simulations determined Linear Attenuation Coefficient (LAC), Half-value Layer (HVL), Mass Attenuation Coefficient (MAC), and Mean Free Path (MFP) within the 40-150 kV energy range. Comparative analysis between MC PHITS simulations and real setups was conducted. The C3-S9 ceramic sample, known for homogeneous full-color structure, showcased superior shielding attributes, attributed to its high density and iron content. Notably, energy levels considerably impacted radiation penetration. Overall, C3-S9 demonstrated strong shielding performance, underlining Malaysia's potential ceramic tile resources for X-ray room radiation shielding.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제56권1호
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• pp.247-256
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• 2024

The glass series modified by tungsten oxide was created using the compounds (75-x) B₂O₃- 10SrCO₃- 8TeO₂- 7ZnO - xWO₃, where x = 0, 1, 5, 10, 22, 27, 34, and 40% mole percentage. A UV-visible spectrophotometer and thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA) methods were employed to characterize the specimen's optical and phase transition attributes, respectively. The mass-attenuation coefficient (AC) of all created glasses from BSTZW0 to BSTZ7 was estimated using Geant4 code from 0.05 to 3 MeV and compared to the XCOM software results, with a relative difference of less than 2% between the two results. The increase of WO₃ percentage lead to an increase in the Linear-AC at each studied energy, and this is mainly due to the fact that the higher the percentage of WO₃ in the glass increases its density which causes an increase in the Linear-AC, so an energy of 0.06 MeV, as an example, the values of the Linear-AC was 4.009, 4.509, 5.442, 6812, 8.564, 9.856, 10.999 and 11.628 cm^-1 form BSTZW0 too BSTZW7, respectively. The Half-VL (value layer), Mean-FP (free path), Tenth-VL, and Radiation attenuation performance (RAP) were also calculated for the current BSTZW-glass samples and revealed that BSTZW7 had the best gamma ray attenuation performance at all discussed energies when compared to other studied glass samples.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제56권8호
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• pp.3378-3384
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• 2024

Investigations were conducted on the addition of barium's impact on the radiation shielding and physical attributes of five different glasses, designated S1-S5, with varying BaO contents. Using two point sources namely Co⁶⁰ and Cs¹³⁷ along with a scintillation detector [NaI(TL)], experimental measurements were made of the shielding parameters of γ-rays, namely the effective atomic number (Z_eff), electron density (N_el), half-value layer (HVL), linear attenuation coefficient (μ), mass attenuation coefficient (μ_m), mean free path (λ), and radiation protection effectiveness at the energies of 0.664, 1.177, and 1.334 MeV, and comparisons made with recently considered glasses as well as frequently employed materials for γ-ray shielding. The results show that the examined glasses' physical and radiation shielding qualities are improved by the addition of BaO. The μ values increased from 0.245 to 0.275 cm^-1 (0.662 MeV), from 0.174 to 0.198 cm^-1 (1.173 MeV), and from 0.161 to 0.189 (1.332 MeV). The observed values of HVL decreased from 2.83, 3.98, and 4.3 cm to 2.5, 3.5, and 3.62 cm at 0.662, 1.173, and 1.332 MeV, respectively, for the samples S1 and S5. In addition, the S5 glass sample was determined to have the best protection against photon among all the samples that were evaluated, as well as against recently considered glasses and those materials often utilized for gamma-ray shielding purposes.