Introducing a novel low energy gamma ray shield utilizing Polycarbonate Bismuth Oxide composite

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Composites
• Radiation Shielding

Background:

• Polycarbonate (PC) is a versatile polymer with good mechanical properties.
• Bismuth Oxide (Bi₂O₃) is known for its high density and effectiveness in attenuating gamma rays.
• Developing effective and lightweight radiation shielding materials is crucial for various applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate and characterize Polycarbonate-Bismuth Oxide (PC-Bi₂O₃) composites.
• To investigate the effect of varying Bi₂O₃ concentrations on the thermal and structural properties of PC composites.
• To evaluate the gamma ray shielding performance of these novel composites.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of PC-Bi₂O₃ composites using the mixed-solution method with Bi₂O₃ concentrations ranging from 0 to 50 wt%.
• Characterization using X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to study dispersion.
• Thermal analysis via Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA).
• Measurement of mass attenuation coefficients using a CsI(Tl) detector and various gamma ray sources (²⁴¹Am, ⁵⁷Co, ^99mTc, ¹³³Ba).

Main Results:

• SEM and XRD analyses confirmed the dispersion of Bi₂O₃ within the PC matrix.
• TGA and DTA revealed that increasing Bi₂O₃ content lowered the glass transition temperature of the composites.
• Mass attenuation coefficients increased significantly with higher Bi₂O₃ concentrations.
• A 23-fold enhancement in attenuation was observed for the 50 wt% composite at 59 keV compared to pure PC.

Conclusions:

• PC-Bi₂O₃ composites can be successfully fabricated with varying Bi₂O₃ content.
• The addition of Bi₂O₃ influences the thermal properties of polycarbonate.
• These composites demonstrate significantly enhanced gamma ray attenuation, making them promising materials for radiation shielding applications.