Comparison of Shielding Material Dispersion Characteristics and Shielding Efficiency for Manufacturing Medical X-ray Shielding Barriers

How efficient are metal-polymer and dual-metals-polymer non-lead radiation shields?

INTRODUCTION

Lead shields are often used to attenuate ionising radiations. However, to make lighter, recyclable and more efficient shields compared to lead, combinations of new metallic compounds together with polymer, for example, flexible polyvinyl chloride (PVC) have been developed recently. In this study, the capabilities of non-lead radiation shields made of one or two metallic compounds and polymer were evaluated.

METHODS

Monte Carlo (MC)-based BEAMnrc code was used to build a functional model based on a Philips X-ray machine in the range of radiographic energies. The MC model was then verified by IPEM Report 78 as a standardised global reference. The MC model was then used to evaluate the efficiency of non-lead-based garments made of metallic compound and polymer (MCP) including BaSO4 -PVC, Bi2 O3 -PVC, Sn-PVC and W-PVC, as well as dual-metallic compounds and polymer (DMCP) including Bi2 O3 -BaSO4 -PVC, Bi2 O3 -Sn-PVC, W-Sn-PVC and W-BaSO4 -PVC. The absorbed doses were determined at the surface of a water phantom and compared directly with the doses obtained for 0.5 mm pure lead (Pb).

RESULTS

Bi2 O3 -BaSO4 -PVC and W-BaSO4 -PVC were found to be efficient shields for most of the energies. In addition to the above radiation shields, Bi2 O3 -Sn-PVC was also found to be effective for the spectrum of 60 keV. Bi2 O3 -BaSO4 -PVC as a non-lead dual metals-PVC shield was shown to be more efficient than pure lead in diagnostic X-ray range.

CONCLUSION

Combination of two metals-PVC, a low atomic number (Z) metal together with a high atomic number metal, and also single-metal-PVC shields were shown to be efficient enough to apply as radiation protection shields instead of lead-based garments.

Research Progress with Membrane Shielding Materials for Electromagnetic/Radiation Contamination

As technology develops at a rapid pace, electromagnetic and radiation pollution have become significant issues. These forms of pollution can cause many important environmental issues. If they are not properly managed and addressed, they will be everywhere in the global biosphere, and they will have devastating impacts on human health. In addition to minimizing sources of electromagnetic radiation, the development of lightweight composite shielding materials to address interference from radiation has become an important area of research. A suitable shielding material can effectively reduce the harm caused by electromagnetic interference/radiation. However, membrane shielding materials with general functions cannot effectively exert their shielding performance in all fields, and membrane shielding materials used in different fields must have specific functions under their use conditions. The aim of this review was to provide a comprehensive review of these issues. Firstly, the causes of electromagnetic/radiation pollution were briefly introduced and comprehensively identified and analyzed. Secondly, the strategic solutions offered by membrane shielding materials to address electromagnetic/radiation problems were discussed. Then, the design concept, technical innovation, and related mechanisms of the existing membrane shielding materials were expounded, the treatment methods adopted by scholars to study the environment and performance change laws were introduced, and the main difficulties encountered in this area of research were summarized. Finally, on the basis of a comprehensive analysis of the protection provided by membrane shielding materials against electromagnetic/radiation pollution, the action mechanism of membrane shielding materials was expounded in detail, and the research progress, structural design and performance characterization techniques for these materials were summarized. In addition, the future challenges were prospected. This review will help universities, research institutes, as well as scientific and technological enterprises engaged in related fields to fully understand the design concept and research progress of electromagnetic/radiation-contaminated membrane shielding materials. In addition, it is hoped that this review will facilitate efforts to accelerate the research and development of membrane shielding materials and offer potential applications in areas such as electronics, nuclear medicine, agriculture, and other areas of industry.

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.