Shielding performance of polyaniline-cobalt ferrite composite materials against hazardous gamma-rays and fast...

With an increasing use of nuclear radiation in medical, industrial, and research fields, effective shielding materials are essential to minimize the risks of radiation exposure. This study explores polyaniline (PA) enhanced with the heavy metal oxide cobalt ferrite (CoFe₂O₄ or CoFe) as a potential lightweight, flexible, non-toxic shielding material. The gamma-ray attenuation efficiency of these composites was analysed across the energy range 0.015-15 MeV at 31 discrete photon energies with the help of Phy-X/PSD software. The results were further validated using the XCOM software. Additionally, shielding against fast neutrons was studied for the prepared samples and was also compared with the commercially available radiation shielding materials. Results indicate that with cobalt ferrite incorporation, S₂ (0.6 wt% CoFe) exhibited 34.96 % higher FNRC than S₀ (0 wt% CoFe) and 15.96 % better HVL reduction than PVC. The studied PA-CoFe composites exhibit promising radiation shielding capabilities. They can be effectively utilized as lightweight, flexible shielding panels, coatings, casings, and protective barriers in nuclear reactors, medical radiotherapy, and other radiation-intensive environments.