Effect of neutron irradiation on neat epoxy resin stability in shielding applications

Abstract

Epoxy resin is a thermoset polymer and is one of the main candidates for radiation shielding application. In this investigation, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen analysis showed that the presence of the light element of nitrogen in cured epoxy could lead to more effective neutron shielding ability compared with physical curing. The effect of neutron irradiation of amine-cured epoxy was studied by infrared spectroscopy. Neat epoxy samples were irradiated at the core of the Tehran Research Reactor in the same neutron flux in the order of 1013 (neutron/cm2×s) at several radiation times (up to 12 h). The results indicated that neutron irradiation caused moderate changes in peak absorption locations of epoxy spectra. This result indicates that, in this neutron flux and irradiation time, the molecular structure of epoxy remains stable.

The Effect of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles on Gamma-Ray Shielding Capacity of Vinyl Ester Resin: Experimental, MCNP6 and WinXCom Results

“…Thermosetting polymers such as epoxy, polyester, and vinyl ester have some advantages over thermoplastic polymers thanks to their excellent adhesion, mechanical strength, high heat and chemical resistance, making them superb candidates for harsh environments such as nuclear power plants [11,12]. In this context, the ionizing radiation shielding performance of thermosetting polymers was investigated by many researchers.…”

Effect of γ‐ray irradiation on epoxy network polymers with different curing agents

“…Because the properties of the cured resins depend on the combination of the chemical structures of both raw materials, the properties can be tailored to each application by varying the resin composition 1–4 . Epoxy resins have been used as electrical insulating materials for superconducting coils in high‐energy accelerator facilities and as structural materials in spacecraft and satellites 5–10 . In these applications, epoxy resins and their composites are required to have sufficient radiation resistance in addition to good initial mechanical and physicochemical properties.…”

“…[1][2][3][4] Epoxy resins have been used as electrical insulating materials for superconducting coils in high-energy accelerator facilities and as structural materials in spacecraft and satellites. [5][6][7][8][9][10] In these applications, epoxy resins and their composites are required to have sufficient radiation resistance in addition to good initial mechanical and physicochemical properties.…”