Development of epoxy-based europium oxide nanocomposites for enhanced electromagnetic radiation shielding performance

This work explores the creation of a new composite material that incorporates europium oxide (Eu₂O₃) nanoparticles into an epoxy resin matrix to improve electromagnetic radiation (EMR) shielding capabilities. The composites were synthesized with different concentrations of Eu₂O₃ nanoparticles (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 wt%). X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigations validated the effective integration of Eu₂O₃ nanoparticles into the epoxy matrix. The linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) and mass attenuation coefficient (MAC) decreased as the photon energy increased. The epoxy composite with 25 wt% of Eu₂O₃ exhibited higher LAC and MAC at 81 keV than the epoxy without nanoparticles, suggesting that the higher atomic number of Eu₂O₃ contributed to the enhanced photon attenuation. The half-value layer (HVL) and mean free path (MFP) decreased as the Eu₂O₃ content increased across all energies. The experimental results were consistent with the calculations from Phy-X/PSD software, exhibiting a percentage deviation ranging from 1.9 % to 12 % at the 95 % confidence level. The EO-NPs/epoxy composite has potential as a lightweight and efficient medium for radiation shielding, particularly in environments plagued by high-energy radiation and electromagnetic interference.