Experimental and Monte Carlo study on shielding properties of polyester/CdO polymer composite against photons using...

In this work, the shielding properties of polyester/CdO polymer composites (Cd0, Cd1.5, Cd5, and Cd10) against photons with energies of 0.06 MeV (²⁴¹Am source) and 0.662 MeV (¹³⁷Cs source) were investigated using experimental measurements and simulation approaches based on the GEANT4, MCNP, and XCOM programs. The MAC, LAC, HVL, MFP, Z_eff, N_eff, and Pb-equivalent thickness parameters were calculated and compared. First the fabrication method of the PE/CdO polymer composite was explained. Then, XRD and SEM analyses were employed to evaluate the structural characteristics of the samples. Ultimately, the radiation properties of the prepared samples were assessed experimentally and compared to the obtained simulated values (via Monte Carlo nuclear codes of GEANT4 and MCNP) and theoretical results of online software of XCOM. The MAC values of the Cd0, Cd1.5, Cd5, and Cd10 samples obtained from experimental measurements and the mentioned programs were (0.1624 ± 0.0043, 0.1877 ± 0.0005, 0.1832, and 0.1868 cm²/g), (0.2036 ± 0.0098, 0.2388 ± 0.0007, 0.2337, and 0.2379 cm²/g), (0.3565 ± 0.0052, 0.3599 ± 0.0010, 0.3559, and 0.3590 cm²/g), and (0.5198 ± 0.0091, 0.5381 ± 0.0013, 0.5328, and 0.5372 cm²/g) at the photon energy of 0.06 MeV, respectively. For the photon energy of 0.662 MeV, the corresponding MAC values were (0.0792 ± 0.0016, 0.0803 ± 0.0001, 0.0796, and 0.0804 cm²/g), (0.0802 ± 0.0062, 0.0803 ± 0.0008, 0.0796, and 0.0803 cm²/g), (0.0803 ± 0.0012, 0.0802 ± 0.0006, 0.0795, and 0.0802 cm²/g), and (0.0805 ± 0.0040, 0.0800 ± 0.0001, 0.0793, and 0.0801 cm²/g), respectively. An increase of 75.7% and 2.3% in the MAC values was observed for the Cd10 sample compared to the Cd0 sample at photon energies of 0.06 and 0.662 MeV, respectively. Based on the experimental results, the Cd10 sample, containing the highest CdO content and exhibiting the maximum MAC values, was identified as the most effective shielding material among the investigated samples. Owing to the flexibility, low cost, and ease of handling of polyester/CdO composites, these shielding materials can be applied in various environments involving nuclear radiation, such as hospitals and nuclear imaging centers.