Shielding for transporting an ²⁴¹Am-Be source for industrial applications.

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Engineering
• Radiation Shielding
• Materials Science

Background:

• Mobile shielding is crucial for handling radioactive sources like 241Am-Be in the oil industry.
• Effective shielding must mitigate both neutron and gamma-ray radiation to meet international safety standards (2 mSv/h).

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and evaluate mobile shielding for a 666 GBq 241Am-Be neutron source.
• To compare the shielding performance of paraffin, water, and water-extended polyester (WEP).

Main Methods:

• Utilized Monte Carlo simulations to model neutron and gamma-ray transport.
• Included gamma-ray production from neutron interactions within shielding materials.
• Calculated ambient dose equivalent rates to assess shielding effectiveness.

Main Results:

• Paraffin demonstrated superior shielding but is unsuitable due to temperature sensitivity.
• WEP and water showed similar shielding performance, but water failed to meet dose rate recommendations.
• WEP shielding met international safety standards and is stable across a wide temperature range.

Conclusions:

• Water-extended polyester (WEP) is the most suitable material for mobile 241Am-Be source shielding.
• WEP offers a balance of effective radiation attenuation and material stability for industrial applications.
• The WEP-based shielding design weighs 66 kg and adheres to safety regulations.