Gamma ray interaction studies on light-weight, eco-friendly PVA-based composites using construction waste materials...

The search for alternatives to toxic lead-based shielding materials is vital for sustainable radiation protection. This study investigates polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) composites reinforced with recycled eco-friendly fillers: granite, glass, and redmud as substitutes for conventional gamma-ray shields. Shielding parameters, including Linear and Mass attenuation coefficients (μ, μ/ρ), Half value layer (HVL), Tenth value layer (TVL), Mean free path (λ), and Effective atomic number (Z_eff), were measured for composites with 10-40 wt% filler concentrations using gamma energies from 511 to 1332 keV. Experimental results closely matched theoretical values determined from XCOM and AutoZeff softwares. The findings show that increasing filler concentrations lead to an increase in μ, μ/ρ, and Z_eff, whereas decrease in HVL, TVL, and λ for all three PVA composites. The maximum value of μ/ρ i.e., 0.090, 0.089, and 0.082 cm²/g is observed at 511 keV, and Z_eff i.e., 10.068, 8.527 and 7.988 at 1332 keV for 40 wt% filler concentration for PVA - Granite, PVA-Glass and PVA-Redmud, respectively. Furthermore, among the composites, PVA-granite exhibited the highest μ (0.28 cm^-1), μ/ρ (0.09 cm²/g), and Z_eff (10.07), along with the lowest HVL (2.50 cm), TVL (8.31 cm), and λ (3.61 cm) values at 40 wt% for a given energy. These results highlight that PVA-granite acts as a relatively better shielding composite and serves as a promising, lightweight, flexible, and eco-friendly alternative for radiation shielding in medical, nuclear, and aerospace applications.