Preparation of Mortar with Fe2O3 Nanoparticles for Radiation Shielding Application

Abstract

The current study aims to investigate the radiation shielding properties of mortar samples with Fe2O3 nanoparticles for radiation protection applications. For the reference mortar (free Fe2O3 nanoparticles) and the mortar with different concentrations of Fe2O3 nanoparticles, we experimentally measured the transmission factor (I/I0) for four different thicknesses of the prepared mortar. The I/I0 results indicated that the transmission of the photons through the mortars decreases with increases in the mortar’s thickness. The lowest TF was found for the mortar coded as MI-25 (contains 25 wt.% of Fe2O3 nanoparticles), which gives an indication about the development in the attenuation ability of the prepared mortar samples due to the addition of Fe2O3. Similarly, the linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) results showed an increasing trend with the addition of Fe2O3 nanoparticles for the four tested energies. These results confirm that increasing the ratio of Fe2O3 nanoparticles can lead to a remarkable improvement in the gamma ray shielding. We reported the half value layer (HVL) and we found that the HVL for the reference mortar at 0.06 MeV is 1.223 cm, while it changed from 1.19 to 1.074 cm for the mortar with 5 and 25 wt.% of Fe2O3 nanoparticles. The HVL results demonstrated that increasing the ratio of Fe2O3 nanoparticles can lead to a notable reduction in the HVL. The tenth value layer results proved that we can develop new mortars for radiation shielding applications by introducing more concentrations of Fe2O3 nanoparticles.

A comprehensive study of the shielding ability from ionizing radiation of different mortars using iron filings and bismuth oxide

“…From the count rate and sample thickness calculations, the µ (cm −1 ) can be estimated by the next law 10 , 19 , 20 : …”

“…al. examined mortar samples with varied Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticle concentrations for radiation protection 10 . With increasing mortar thickness, photon transmission diminishes, according to I/I0 findings.…”

Enhancing the Gamma-Radiation-Shielding Properties of Gypsum–Lime–Waste Marble Mortars by Incorporating Micro- and Nano-PbO Particles

“…Various dense materials such as tungsten, bismuth, copper, and steel are considered good shielding materials. However, different composites based on polymers, glasses, alloys, and mortars containing fillers, such as micro- and nanoparticles, have been extensively studied as alternative radiation-shielding materials which are suitable for the desired applications [ 5 ].…”

Mechanical, Morphological, Thermal and the Attenuation Properties of Heavy Mortars Doped with Nanoparticles for Gamma-Ray Shielding Applications

“…Meanwhile, tungsten carbide, which has a high atomic number and excellent shielding ability, has been proposed as a replacement for lead, which was previously the industry standard for radiation shielding [22]. Studies have shown that tungsten carbide can improve the radiation shielding properties of cement pastes, while also offering greater resistance and hardness [23]. Pioneering studies in this field include the work of Smith et al [14], who investigated the use of bismuth oxide nanoparticles for radiation shielding, and the study by Lee et al [15], who explored the use of Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles for improving the radiation shielding properties of cement pastes.…”