Photon, electron and charged particles attenuation characteristics of polyester composites reinforced with waste...

Marble mining activities generate large amounts of waste, posing environmental risks, particularly to groundwater. Reuse of waste marble dust (WM) should target applications with high consumption potential that integrate waste management, environmental protection, and resource conservation. This study aims to develop a sustainable and eco-friendly radiation shielding material by incorporating WM into polyester resin. Five composite samples containing 0%, 30%, 40%, 50%, and 65% WM were fabricated. Increasing WM content enhanced both the density (1.25-1.85 g/cm³) and hardness of the composites. Gamma and electron attenuation parameters were determined experimentally, theoretically, and through Monte Carlo simulations. Additionally, mass stopping power (MSP) and projected range (PR) values for four heavy ions (Ar, C, He, H) were obtained using the SRIM code. The results demonstrated that higher WM concentrations significantly improved the radiation attenuation capability of the composites. At 1332 keV, the HVL values for 0, 30, 40, 50, and 65 wt% WM were 9.687, 8.437, 7.984, 7.437, and 6.756 cm, respectively. Parameters obtained from GAMOS and Phy-X/PSD showed strong agreement with experimental findings. Across six electron energies tested, the composite containing 65% WM exhibited superior attenuation efficiency compared with the other samples. MSP and PR analyses further indicated that the P35M65 sample had the lowest values, confirming its enhanced interaction with charged particles. Overall, the 65% WM-reinforced composite demonstrates strong potential for use as an effective radiation shielding material against photons, electrons, and heavy charged particles.