The attenuating properties of several types of lead (Pb)-based and non-Pb radiation shielding materials were studied and a correlation was made of radiation attenuation, materials properties, calculated spectra and ambient dose equivalent. Utilizing the well-characterized x-ray and gamma ray beams at the National Research Council of Canada, air kerma measurements were used to compare a variety of commercial and pre-commercial radiation shielding materials over mean energy ranges from 39 to 205 keV. The EGSnrc Monte Carlo user code cavity. cpp was extended to provide computed spectra for a variety of elements that have been used as a replacement for Pb in radiation shielding garments. Computed air kerma values were compared with experimental values and with the SRS-30 catalogue of diagnostic spectra available through the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine Report 78. In addition to garment materials, measurements also included pure Pb sheets, allowing direct comparisons to the common industry standards of 0.25 and 0.5 mm "lead equivalent." The parameter "lead equivalent" is misleading, since photon attenuation properties for all materials (including Pb) vary significantly over the energy spectrum, with the largest variations occurring in the diagnostic imaging range. Furthermore, air kerma measurements are typically made to determine attenuation properties without reference to the measures of biological damage such as ambient dose equivalent, which also vary significantly with air kerma over the diagnostic imaging energy range. A single material or combination cannot provide optimum shielding for all energy ranges. However, appropriate choice of materials for a particular energy range can offer significantly improved shielding per unit mass over traditional Pb-based materials.

Depending on the x-ray quality, appropriate choices of two complementary metal-embedded elastomer layers can decrease the weight of radiation shielding garments by up to 25% compared to Pb-based elastomer garments while providing equivalent attenuation.

New non-Pb compound materials, particularly single layers or bilayers incorporating Bi(2)O(3), can reduce the weight of radiation protection materials while providing equivalent or better protection compared to Pb-based materials. Attenuation measurements in geometries that exclude the contribution from fluorescence substantially underestimate the quantity of transmitted radiation. A new Bi(2)O(3)-loaded hand cream demonstrated a novel and effective approach for hand protection. Standard testing protocols for radiation protection materials used by IR physicians specify a wider kVp range than is necessary. A more realistic range would acknowledge the lower kVp resulting from scatter and allow IR physicians to confidently utilize lighter-weight materials while still receiving adequate protection. Standards protocols incorporating the adjustments described in this work would maintain the safety of IR personnel and lessen the physical repercussions of long hours wearing unnecessarily heavy radiation protection garments.

Transmission line model and end resistance measurements were made to determine the contact resistivity of Mg and Mg2Si contacts to Si doped n-type in the range 1018–1020 cm−3. The data are consistent with a barrier height of 0.4 eV for Mg and 0.52 eV for Mg2Si. The morphology, structure, and composition were studied using transmission electron microscopy.

Dosimetry protocols recommend that ionization chambers used in radiation therapy be pre-irradiated until they 'settle', i.e., until a stable reading is obtained. Previous reports have claimed that a lack of pre-irradiation could result in errors up to several per cent. Recently, data collected for a large number of commonly used ion chambers at the Institute for National Measurement Standards, NRC, Canada, have been collated and analysed, with additional data contributed by the National Physical Laboratory, UK. With this data set, it was possible to relate patterns of ion chamber behaviour to design parameters. While several mechanisms seem to contribute to this behaviour, the most obvious correlations implicate the type of insulator surrounding the central collector electrode, the extent of collector electrode shielding and possibly the area of the insulator exposed at the base of the active air volume. The results show that ion chambers with electrode connections guarded up to the active air volume settle quickly (approximately 9 min) and the change in response is small (less than approximately 0.2%). For ion chambers where the guard connection surrounding the central collector does not extend up to the active air volume, settling times of 15-20 min and an associated change in response of up to 1% are typical. For some models of ion chambers, the irradiation rate may also play a role in settling behaviour. Settling times for the ion chambers studied here were found to be independent of beam quality.