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

Abstract

Rubber composites with excellent radiation shielding and flexibility are extremely important to personal protective equipments (PPEs) for protecting workers from radiation hazards, especially for mixed radiations. It is, however, challenging to achieve uniform dispersion of fillers and good compatibility of the interfaces in highly‐filled rubber composites that are closely related to their physical properties. In this article, lead borate@polydopamine (PBO@PDA) core–shell particles are chemically bonded with silicone rubber (SR) for co‐shielding of neutron and γ‐rays. Uniform dispersion of the core–shell particles and good compatibility of the interfaces give rise to enhanced flexibility of the rubber composites. Particularly, the SR composite with 40 wt% PBO particles displays increases of 106% in elongation at break and 490% in tensile strength to neat SR. Furthermore, the mass attenuation coefficient of γ‐rays (105 KeV) reaches 2.35 and the thermal neutron absorption rate (0.025 eV) of is 76.9%. This work takes into account the balance between radiation shielding and flexibility of rubber composites, which provides a facile strategy to fabricate excellent integrated properties of flexible materials for shielding mixed neutron and γ‐rays.

Flexible and Mechanically Enhanced Polyurethane Composite for γ-ray Shielding and Thermal Regulation

“…With the widespread use of nuclear technology, the frequency of human exposure to ionizing radiation has increased. γ-rays, with their strong penetrating properties, can cause serious damage to humans and the environment. , Traditionally, elements with high atomic numbers have been used to shield the γ-rays, like tungsten, lead, and bismuth. , In the previous work, we successfully prepared the bifunctional microencapsulation of paraffin with lead tungstate shell (Pn@PWO) for γ-ray shielding and thermal regulation. , Similar to the microencapsulated PCMs with inorganic shells, Pn@PWO microcapsules have a poor leakage-proof property. Fortunately, the construction of the double-shelled structure can significantly reinforce the leakage-proof property of microcapsules. − Liu et al have prepared the microcapsules with an n -docosane core and SiO 2 /Ni­(OH) 2 layer-by-layer shell.…”

Polymer Fibers Highly Filled with Styrene Maleic Anhydride-Modified PbWO4 for Improved Wear Comfort of γ-ray-Shielding Articles

“…It is acknowledged that high-energy photons (such as X-rays and γ-rays) across nuclear plants, scientific equipment, and health care seriously threaten human life. − This issue has raised increasing concerns due to the flourishing nuclear science and technology fields. Protection from these threats using personal protective equipment (PPE) is of great significance for radiation protection safety of human personnel in radiation environments. − Rubber-based composites bearing heavy metals such as lead (Pb) and tungsten (W) are commonly used to fabricate the PPE. , On the one hand, the large density of electron cloud in heavy metals promotes the collision probability of high-energy photons with electrons for radiation shielding. − On the other hand, the flexible features of rubber-based composites make them suitable for wearable devices by workers. − However, wearing PPE with rubber-based composites makes it difficult to channel sweat away during work, which usually causes reduced wear comfort and then affects working efficiency. Therefore, developing flexible materials with air permeability can lead to wear comfort of the PPE. , …”