Shape-Controlled Iron-Paraffin Composites as γ- and X-ray Shielding Materials Formable by Warmth-of-Hands-Derived...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Radiation Physics
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Designing effective radiation shielding materials with multifunctional properties is a significant challenge.
• Existing materials often lack moldability or optimal performance against diverse radiation types.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop novel, moldable paraffin-based composites incorporating iron nano- and microparticles for gamma and X-ray attenuation.
• To investigate the influence of iron particle size and concentration on shielding efficacy.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of paraffin-iron composites with varying iron particle sizes (22 nm to 63 μm) and concentrations (10 and 50 wt%).
• Characterization using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), Raman spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Energy-Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX).
• Evaluation of shielding properties, including Half Value Layer (HVL) measurements, compared to elemental aluminum.

Main Results:

• Iron particle size showed a negligible effect on radiation shielding properties.
• Increased iron content (50 wt%) significantly enhanced the attenuation capabilities of the microcomposites.
• The paraffin + 50 wt% Fe microcomposite exhibited superior X-ray attenuation compared to elemental aluminum at 70 kV.

Conclusions:

• Moldable paraffin-based iron composites offer high-performance, eco-friendly, lightweight, and recyclable radiation shielding solutions.
• The developed methodology is scalable, reproducible, and validated through hospital studies.
• These materials present a promising pathway for advanced radiation shielding applications.