Superior shielding potential of extinct volcano-derived rock aggregates: An MCNP simulation study for lead...

The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential use of rock samples collected from around an extinct volcano for radiation shielding applications. The eight rock samples examined in the study were collected from the Karacadağ Region of Şanlıurfa Province, Turkey. After the samples were collected, an elemental analysis was performed using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and the elemental compositions were obtained via the Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) method. Simulations were performed using MCNP-6.2, a radiation transport program, utilizing the elemental compositions obtained. The simulation results were compared with the data available in the XCOM database. Furthermore, the radiation shielding capabilities of the samples were evaluated by comparing the MCNP results with those of lead, which is widely used today. Unlike previous studies focusing on standard basaltic structures, this research uniquely evaluates the multi-layered volcanic lithology of the Karacadağ region. The results demonstrate that at low photon energies (up to 0.1 MeV), five of the eight samples (1, 2, 3, 5, 8) exhibited a higher linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) than 3 mm of lead, suggesting their potential as cost-effective and non-toxic alternatives for diagnostic X-ray shielding. These findings suggest that the use of these rocks could have positive impacts, both in reducing the cost of materials used for shielding and in making the cleared land suitable for agricultural use.