Protection evaluation of non-lead radiation-shielding fabric: preliminary exposure-dose study

A Promising Glass Type in Electronic and Laser Applications: Elastic Moduli, Mechanical, and Photon Transmission Properties of WO3 Reinforced Ternary-Tellurite Glasses

We report the symmetry of mechanical and gamma-ray attenuation properties for some tellurite glasses through elastic moduli, mechanical, and transmission properties as a function of varied WO3 amount in glass configuration. Four glass samples, along with different molar compositions as well as WO3/GdF3 substitution ratios, are investigated. Transmission properties using several essential parameters, such as attenuation coefficients, half-value layers, effective atomic numbers, effective conductivity, and buildup factors, are calculated in the 0.015–15 MeV energy range. Moreover, elastic moduli and Poisson’s ratios (σ) of the studied glass are calculated using the Makishima–Mackenzie model. The M4 sample with the highest WO3 addition is found with superior photon attenuation properties among the glasses investigated. Poisson’s ratio (σ) is increased, while all elastic moduli are decreased. Young’s modulus is reported as 62.23 GPa and 36.45.37 GPa at the highest and lowest WO3 mol%, respectively. It can be concluded that WO3 is a functional and monotonic tool in ternary-tellurite glasses for multiple modifications and enhancement purposes on gamma-ray attenuation, elastic moduli, and mechanical properties. It can also be concluded that increasing the WO3 amount in tellurite glasses may be considered a tool in terms of providing symmetry for mechanical and gamma-ray attenuation properties.

Influence of Parameters and Performance Evaluation of 3D-Printed Tungsten Mixed Filament Shields

Currently, protective clothing used in clinical field is the most representative example of efforts to reduce radiation exposure to radiation workers. However, lead is classified as a substance harmful to the human body that can cause lead poisoning. Therefore, research on the development of lead-free radiation shielding bodies is being conducted. In this study, the shielding body was manufactured by changing the size, layer, and height of the nozzle, using a 90.7% pure tungsten filament, a 3D printer material, and we compared its performance with existing protection tools. Our findings revealed that the shielding rate of the mixed tungsten filament was higher than that of the existing protective tools, confirming its potency to replace lead as the most protective material in clinical field.

Evaluation of Micro- and Nano-Bismuth(III) Oxide Coated Fabric for Environmentally Friendly X-Ray Shielding Materials

This research focuses on the development of environmentally friendly textile-based shielding composites, from micro-sized and nanosized Bi₂O₃ particles, against ionizing radiation. Polyester fabric dyne-coated with either micro- or nano-Bi₂O₃ particles shields some X-rays but the effectiveness is poor. With only ∼58% uptake of micro-sized Bi₂O₃ particles dyeing on polyester fabric, the insufficient amount of Bi₂O₃ leaded to the low density of particles, resulting in only 30% of X-ray shielding at 80 kVp. Cotton fabric coated with either micro- or nano-Bi₂O₃/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) composites, on the other hand, demonstrated the capacity to attenuate X-ray generated by high diagnostic X-ray tube voltages of 70-100 kVp, in compliance with medical protection requirements. The X-ray attenuation performance of cotton fabric coated with either micro-Bi₂O₃/PVA or nano-Bi₂O₃/PVA nanocomposite decreased progressively with increasing tube acceleration voltages, however their ionizing radiation-shielding performance enhanced with the number of fabric layers. Interestingly, for all X-ray tube voltages evaluated, the micro-Bi₂O₃/PVA composite outperformed the nano- Bi₂O₃/PVA composite in terms of X-ray shielding. At a weight ratio of 66.7% Bi₂O₃, 10 layers of cotton fabric coated with micro- Bi₂O₃/PVA composite can attenuate 90, 85, and 80% of X-ray photons at 70, 80, and 100 kVp, respectively. As a result, these less harmful X-ray shielding materials have the potential to replace lead-based composites, which are highly toxic to human health and have negative environmental consequences.

Preparation and Performance Evaluation of X-ray-Shielding Barium Sulfate Film for Medical Diagnosis Using PET Recycling and Multi-Carrier Principles

The use of disposable containers and packaging materials has increased due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, the generation of plastic waste is also increasing, and research on recycling such waste is being actively conducted. In this study, an X-ray-shielding film for medical diagnosis was manufactured by mixing a radiation-shielding material and a plastic waste-based polymer material and its effectiveness was evaluated. The film, which is intended as a fabric for a shielding garment, consists of barium sulfate (BaSO4) shielding nanoparticles embedded in a matrix of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a commonly available waste plastic material. A particle-dispersing technology, which can improve the ratio between the shielding and matrix materials while maintaining the tensile strength of the film, was studied. Therefore, to increase the content of the barium sulfate (BaSO4) nanoparticles used as the shielding material, this multi-carrier method—under which the particles are dispersed in units of time—was developed to improve the shielding performance. Compared with the effectiveness of lead (Pb) shielding film, the 3 mm barium sulfate film developed in this study satisfies the lead equivalent of 0.150 mmPb when stacked in two layers. Therefore, a shielding film was successfully manufactured by using plastic waste as a polymer resin and barium sulfate, an eco-friendly radiation-shielding material, instead of lead.

Lead Free Multilayered Polymer Composites for Radiation Shielding

Silicone-based polymer composites containing high atomic number additives are prioritized for the development of new materials for radiation shielding, due to their mechanical, thermal, electrical, and multifunctional properties. The X-ray attenuation properties, as well as mechanical properties, of the newly developed-lead-free multi-layered structures for radiation shielding, based on silicone composite layers containing tin, cerium oxide, tungsten oxide, and bismuth additives, are analyzed and discussed in this paper. It is shown that, by varying the additive concentrations in silicone composites, lead-free and flexible layered structures, exhibiting lead-equivalent X-ray shielding, can be fabricated.

Analysis of Shielding Performance of Radiation-Shielding Materials According to Particle Size and Clustering Effects

In the field of medical radiation shielding, there is an extensive body of research on process technologies for ecofriendly shielding materials that could replace lead. In particular, the particle size and arrangement of the shielding material when blended with a polymer material affect shielding performance. In this study, we observed how the particle size of the shielding material affects shielding performance. Performance and particle structure were observed for every shielding sheet, which were fabricated by mixing microparticles and nanoparticles with a polymer material using the same process. We observed that the smaller the particle size was, the higher both the clustering and shielding effects in the high-energy region. Thus, shielding performance can be improved. In the low-dose region, the effect of particle size on shielding performance was insignificant. Moreover, the shielding sheet in which nanoparticles and microsized particles were mixed showed similar performance to that of the shielding sheet containing only microsized particles. Findings indicate that, when fabricating a shielding sheet using a polymer material, the smaller the particles in the high-energy region are, the better the shielding performance is. However, in the low-energy region, the effect of the particles is insignificant.