A Monte Carlo Study on the Shielding Properties of a Novel Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA)/WO3 Composite, Against Gamma Rays, Using the MCNPX Code

Abstract

Background : In recent years, there has been an increased interest toward non-lead radiation shields consisting of small-sized filler particles doped into polymer matrices. In this paper, we study a new polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/WO3 composite in the presence of high-energy gamma photons through simulation via the Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) simulation code.Materials and Methods: An MCNP geometry was first designed in the software based on real-life conditions, and the generated geometry was validated by calculating the mass attenuation coefficient and making relative comparisons with standard tables. Using the lattice card in the MCNP input file, WO3 was considered as a filler dispersed in a PVA polymer at sizes of 10 µm and 30 nm with a weight concentration of 50 wt%. By defining 106-photons emitted from point sources corresponding to 662, 778, 964, 1112, 1170, 1130 and 1407 keV energy levels, and the F4 tally used to estimate the cell average flux, the values for mass attenuation coefficient and half-value layer (HVL) were calculated.Results: The results show that PVA/WO3 composite can be considered to shield X and γ-rays in the mentioned energies. However, nano-WO3 has a better ability to shield in comparison with the micro-WO3 fillers. The differences in attenuation changed at different energy levels, ascribed to the dominance of pair production occurrence and photon interactions in the composite, which was in good agreement with previous studies.Conclusion: Our finding showed that the composite can be considered as a lead-free shielding material.

Polymeric composite materials for radiation shielding: a review

“…Bismuth nanoparticles with cellulose nanofibers and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymer can effectively shield X-ray radiation at a lower mass ratio in the polymer matrix (Li et al 2018 ). Novel polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/tungsten oxide (WO 3 ) composite consisting tungsten oxide (WO 3 ) at sizes of 10 μm and 30 nm with a weight concentration of 50 weight % was studied for gamma-ray shielding (Kazemi et al 2019 ).…”

Introducing a novel low energy gamma ray shield utilizing Polycarbonate Bismuth Oxide composite

“…Kazemi et al studied new polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/WO 3 composite in the presence of high-energy gamma photons through simulation via the Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) simulation code. They found that the PVA/WO 3 composite can be considered as a shield for the gamma energy at the level of 662, 778, 964, 1112, 1170, 1130, and 1407 keV 18 . Later, Atashi et al fabricated a flexible silicone rubber/W/Bi 2 O 3 by an open mold cast technique 19 .…”

LDPE/Bismuth Oxide Nanocomposite: Preparation, Characterization and Application in X-ray Shielding

“…It was established that the nanoscale reinforced HDPE enhanced the overall shielding properties, particularly at lower photon energies. Another study was conducted on a new polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/WO 3 composite based on the Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) simulation code [ 26 ]. It was noted that the PVA/WO 3 composite could be considered as a shield for photon energy at the levels of 662, 778, 964, 1112, 1170, 1130, and 1407 keV.…”