Structural, physical, and radiation attenuation properties of Lece and Slag rocks for nuclear shielding applications

The use of appropriate shielding material is a major catalyst for the sustained application of nuclear radiation-based technologies. Shielding materials are often delineated by performance, sustainability, cost, and safety. Natural environmental matrices such as rocks are attractive for radiation control from sustainability and cost effectiveness perspectives. However, due to the diversity in the composition of rocks, the performance of different rocks in shielding applications could differ. In this study, the chemical structure, density, gamma and neutron shielding performance of Lece rock and slag rock from the Hatay area of Turkey were investigated. The present work aimed to give a full understanding of structural and chemical properties, and radiation attenuation of Turkish Lece and slag rocks for their radiation shielding potentials. Thus, paving the way for innovative and eco-friendly radiation protective solutions for nuclear facilities in Turkey and other parts of the globe. The chemical description of the rock samples was evaluated using Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy while the density of the samples was evaluated based on the Archimedes model. The gamma and neutron interaction parameters of the samples were obtained from analytic computation using RadPhy and XCOM codes. The estimated density of the two rock samples indicated that the Lece volcanic rock is denser than the slag rock. The chemical compositions of the rock vary significantly based on their mineralogical contents. The concentration of the oxides of Al, Ca, Fe, and Si dominated the chemical structure of the rocks. However, the concentrations of Ca, Fe, Si and Ti in Lece rock were higher than that of slag rock. These elements ensured that the photon attenuation ability of Lece rock was greater than for Slag rocks. The mass attenuation coefficients decrease from maximum values of 18.6028 and 9.0075 cm²/g at 0.015 MeV to 0.0238 and 0.0213 cm²/g at 15 MeV for Lece and slag rocks, respectively. The half-value layers increase consistently with energy, indicating decreasing shielding effectiveness. The fast neutron removal cross-section and gamma shielding performance of Lece rock was higher compared to the slag rock. The abundance and low-density nature of the present slag and Lece volcanic rocks make them sustainable and attractive option for light shields and as aggregates in more complex shielding matrices.