High loading boron nitride chemically bonded with silicone rubber to enhance thermal neutron shielding and flexibility of polymer nanocomposites

Abstract

Flexible materials with excellent radiation shielding and flexibility are essential to the personal protective equipments (PPEs) for protecting workers from nuclear radiations. However, it is an enormous challenge to obtain the desired materials since high loading filler in polymer nanocomposites usually promotes radiation shielding while restrains its flexibility. Here, a facile “thiol‐ene click” means is applied to chemically bond high loading boron nitride (BN) nanoparticles with silicone rubber (SR) in SR/BN nanocomposites for thermal neutron shielding. Uniform dispersion of BN nanoparticles and good compatibility of interfaces in the nanocomposites with high loading filler lead to increased flexibility instead of decrease. In particular, the nanocomposite with 40 wt% BN displays 911% of elongation at break that is about 50% enhancement to that of neat SR. Furthermore, higher loading BN in the nanocomposites means better thermal neutron shielding. Namely, enhanced thermal neutron shielding and flexibility is achieved at SR/BN nanocomposite with 40 wt% BN. The present work provides a facile strategy towards superior integrated performance of flexible materials for radiation shielding, such as wearable devices.

Multifunctional phase change composites with improved leakage‐proof and mechanical properties for thermal regulation and gamma radiation shielding

“…29,30 Silicone rubber (SR), as a polysiloxane elastomer material, has excellent overall properties such as high heat resistance, flexibility, non-toxicity, excellent electrical insulation, and chemical stability, and is often used to prepare radiation protection materials. 31,32 In previous work, we prepared flexible radiation shielding phase change composites using PW@PbWO 4 microcapsules as filler and SR as matrix. 33,34 However, the poor interfacial compatibility of the PW@PbWO 4 microcapsules with the SR matrix has resulted in poor mechanical properties of the composites, further limiting the application of the composites.…”

“…Phage change microcapsules can be incorporated into polymer matrices to fabricate composites for thermal regulation 29,30 . Silicone rubber (SR), as a polysiloxane elastomer material, has excellent overall properties such as high heat resistance, flexibility, non‐toxicity, excellent electrical insulation, and chemical stability, and is often used to prepare radiation protection materials 31,32 . In previous work, we prepared flexible radiation shielding phase change composites using PW@PbWO 4 microcapsules as filler and SR as matrix 33,34 .…”

Lead borate@polydopamine core–shell particles chemically bonded with silicone rubber for neutron and γ‐rays shielding

“…Then the functional fillers for jointly shielding neutron and γ‐rays should be composed of heavy meanwhile light elements. Therefore, rationally designing rubber‐based composites with excellent shielding of mixed radiations and good flexibility is of vital significance to the personnel security in nuclear industry 14–20 …”

“…It is believed that incorporating high loading heavy metals meanwhile boron compounds into rubbers can be used for shielding mixed neutron and γ‐rays 14,21–23 . On the one hand, huge disparity in the physiochemical properties between inorganic fillers and rubber matrices generally occurs.…”

“…In this article, lead borate (PBO) particles are used as the functional filler for co‐shielding of neutron and γ‐rays 39,40 . In addition, a powerful and versatile thiol‐ene “click” technique is applied to chemically bond PBO particles with SR matrix in the rubber composites 14,41 . In order to guarantee the efficiency of “click” reaction, the PBO particles are first coated with polydopamine (PDA).…”