MOSCOW, 20 Jun. UrFU researchers as part of an international team proposed a material for protection against X-rays and gamma radiation. According to them, the new polymer composite can become a worthy alternative to lead, as it is completely environmentally friendly. The results are published in Radiation Physics and Chemistry.
Excessive radiation exposure is harmful to living organisms, as it can cause serious illnesses that can become hereditary, the scientists explained. Both large instantaneous doses of radiation and periodic exposure to small doses are equally dangerous.
The most problematic from the point of view of protection is gamma radiation, which has a high penetrating power. The most common shielding material for its shielding is lead. This element has a large atomic mass, and in the form of a metal — a high density, due to which it is able to effectively attenuate gamma rays.
However, lead itself is extremely toxic, its release into nature is fraught with serious consequences. With a high lead content in the body, the work of the nervous system and brain is disrupted, which can lead to death, according to WHO experts. Therefore, the disposal of spent lead structures is a significant problem for the nuclear industry. «0.5625» data-crop-width=»600″ data-crop-height=»338″ data-source-sid=»not_rian_photo» class=»» />
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Researchers of the Ural Federal University. First President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin (UrFU) with colleagues from Jordan and Malaysia conducted computational and experimental studies, during which they synthesized samples of a new shielding material — a composite of epoxy resin with a filler of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles.
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«Tungsten, uranium and some other highly shielding metals cannot be used for radiation shielding for environmental and economic reasons. Pure polymers poorly attenuate X-ray and gamma radiation, however, by adding chemical elements with higher atomic numbers to them, one can significantly increase their shielding ability,” explained Oleg Tashlykov, co-author of the work, professor at the Department of Nuclear Power Plants and Renewable Energy Sources of the Ural Federal University Oleg Tashlykov.
In the nuclear power industry, according to the authors, composites of this type will be in demand due to their resistance to heat and chemical attack, as well as the ability to impart the required strength and rigidity to the material.
November 21, 2022, 08: 00
“Our material is especially convenient when it is necessary to shield hard-to-reach spaces of complex shape. In addition, epoxy resin favorably stands out among all polymers due to its low cost and ease of production. Lead shields better than our composite, but this can be easily compensated by increasing the thickness of the structure,” noted Tashlykov.
As the creators emphasized, the new composite is completely environmentally friendly both in production and in use.
The study was conducted jointly with specialists from the Malaya Technological University and Isra University (Jordan). In the future, the research team plans to test other fillers for the epoxy matrix and identify the most promising compositions, as well as to study in detail the effect of composite manufacturing technology on its shielding properties.
UrFU is a member of the state support program for Russian universities » Priority 2030″.