USING NANO TUNGSTEN OXIDE POLYMER COMPOSITE AS A GAMMA RADIATION SHIELDING
Mayssoun. M. Mourad, Y. Abdou, Mohamed R. Berber, F. Elhussiny
Abstract
Lead is a traditional shielding material for gamma radiation protection, in spite of its disadvantages such as high density, toxicity and high cost. New shielding materials that have the same effective attenuation and have more advantages are studied. The aim of this work is to prepare new nano-composite material shield (nontoxic, light, and environmental friendly) that minimize the radiation hazards. Polymers are safe and light materials but on their own aren't effective in radiation shielding. The idea is to use a high-density metal which is the most effective materials in shielding with polymers which have the property of lightness and flexibility. A new nano-composite will be produced with improved advantage in shielding martials. In this study, high‑density metal is the nano tungsten oxide powder that can be mixed with poly vinyl alcohol. Using a certain amount with different concentrations of nano tungsten oxide powder in the polymer matrix. The composite sheets have been obtained by casting method with different thickness for each concentration. The nano-composite can be tested by Geiger-Muller counter for attenuation measurements. According to results, a new shielding material is efficient for gamma radiation protection.