Investigation of Pb₂O₃ and GNP enhanced cement for radiation shielding applications

Nano Pb₂O₃ and graphene nanoplatelets have been incorporated into cement composites to explore their effectiveness as radiation shielding materials. The modified cement samples were prepared and characterized using techniques such as SEM, FTIR, and XRD. Flexural strength tests revealed that incorporating GNP into cement improved its mechanical properties. The Pb concentration was varied from 1.25% to 5%, resulting in an increase in Z_eff of up to 27% at 100 keV. As the Pb content rose from 1.25% to 5%, the equivalent atomic number (Z_eq) increased by up to 26% in the energy range of 150 to 1500 keV. Moreover, the increase in Pb from 1.25% to 5% resulted in significant reductions in EBF and EABF values, decreasing by up to 390% and 550%, respectively, at 40 mfp over the 100-600 keV range. The effectiveness of the prepared doped cement was assessed against various concrete types, revealing that the CGPb5 performed comparably to other concrete types. The Z_eff values of CGPb5 were found to be similar to those of other concretes, except for OR. Additionally, the mean attenuation factors (MAF) for thermal and fast neutrons declined as the Pb level increased from 1.25% to 5%. These findings suggest that CGPb5 demonstrates superior radiation shielding properties compared to various other concrete types.