Lead oxide (PbO) bulk and nanoparticles of two different sizes (A = 78 nm and
B = 54 nm) are incorporated separately into the polystyrene matrix at
various concentrations (0, 10, 15, 25, and 35 %) using roll mill mixing and
compressing molding techniques. The X-ray narrow-spectrum series (N-series
/ ISO 4037-1) is then used to investigate the radiation attenuation
capability of the novel polymer composite PS/PbO, as well as the effect of
varying PbO particle sizes on shielding performance. The filler dispersion
and chemical elemental analysis of the synthesized composite are
investigated using scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive
X-ray spectroscopy. To determine the mass attenuation coefficients ?m,
samples with various thicknesses of the synthesized composite are examined
using a range of X-ray energies, and the experimental data are compared to
theoretical values from NIST databases (XCOM and FFAST). The results
indicate that either increasing the filler weight percentage or, decreasing
the filler particle size, enhanced the attenuation parameters throughout all
energies. The composite containing the smallest nanosize of PbO exhibited
the maximum radiation shielding efficacy among all combinations and
therefore, might be used to develop low-cost and lightweight X-ray shields.