Neutron shielding behavior of thermoplastic natural rubber/boron carbide composites

Zali, Nurazila Mat; Yazid, Hafizal; Ahmad, Megat Harun Al Rashid Megat

doi:10.1088/1757-899x/298/1/012018

Cited by 11 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…The usage of aluminium reinforced with boron carbide has become common, especially in neutron applications, due to its ability to absorb neutrons very well. This composite is used as a shielding material to absorb free neutrons produced during the reaction in nuclear reactors [12] and to avoid any radiation escaping to the surrounding environment [6]. The fabrication of aluminium composites reinforced with boron carbide is due to several inherent weaknesses of boron carbide as a single form, because boron carbide is brittle and requires extreme temperatures for heat treatment due to its high melting point.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanical and tribological characteristics of boron carbide reinforcement of AA6061 matrix composite

Hynes¹,

Raja²,

Tharmaraj

et al. 2020

J Braz. Soc. Mech. Sci. Eng.

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The use of boron carbide-reinforced aluminium matrix composites has grown rapidly in critical applications of aerospace industries, automotive sectors, military, and nuclear engineering. However, boron carbide reinforcement within AA6061 alloy is worthy of investigation in terms of its mechanical and tribological properties. Novel aluminium matrix composites were developed with three different reinforcements (i.e. 5, 10, and 15 wt% of B 4 C) by using the stir casting process. The developed samples were then tested for performance in terms of mechanical properties (i.e. tensile strength, bending strength, impact strength, shear properties, and micro-hardness). The microstructure of the developed samples was analysed using a scanning electron microscope. By adding 5% B 4 C reinforcement, the samples display enhanced mechanical properties (high bending, increased resistance to impact test, and shear strength). The micro-hardness tends to increase by increasing the percentage of reinforcement. The novel composites have superior wear resistance due to an increase in the content of B 4 C particles. The measurements indicate that the wear rate resistance is significantly higher for the composite material with a large amount of B 4 C particles when was compared with AA6061 alloy. The patterns of surface analysis reveal a homogeneous distribution of ceramic reinforcements in 5 and 15 wt% of B 4 C samples, as well as a low agglomeration of embedded particles.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanical and tribological characteristics of boron carbide reinforcement of AA6061 matrix composite

Hynes¹,

Raja²,

Tharmaraj

et al. 2020

J Braz. Soc. Mech. Sci. Eng.

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“…As one promising and significant ceramic material [12], boron carbide stands out with its extraordinary properties [13,14], such as ultra-high hardness (Mohs hardness of 9.36 and microhardness of 55 GPa to 67 GPa) [15], less density (2.52 g/m 3 ), high melting point (2350 • C), high boiling point (3500 • C), high temperature strength, as well as good chemical stability without reacting with strong acids or alkali solutions. In addition, boron carbide has been widely applied in the national defense industry [16,17], nuclear industry, and other fields [18][19][20], on account of its high chemical degree, neutron absorption, wear resistance, and excellent semiconductor conductivity. In view of its outstanding properties, boron carbide is usually used to produce bullet-proof materials; nozzles for guns and cannons; and the essential components of nuclear reactors, such as the control rods, accident rods, safety rods, plates, or neutron absorbers [21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neutron Shielding Performance of 3D-Printed Boron Carbide PEEK Composites

Cao

et al. 2020

Materials

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Polyethylene is used as a traditional shielding material in the nuclear industry, but still suffers from low softening point, poor mechanical properties, and difficult machining. In this study, novel boron carbide polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK) composites with different mass ratios were prepared and tested as fast neutron absorbers. Next, shielding test pieces with low porosity were rapidly manufactured through the fused deposition modeling (FDM)-3D printing optimization process. The respective heat resistances, mechanical properties, and neutron shielding characteristics of as-obtained PEEK and boron carbide PEEK composites with different thicknesses were then evaluated. At load of 0.45 MPa, the heat deformation temperature of boron carbide PEEK increased with the boron carbide content. The heat deformation temperature of 30% wt. boron carbide PEEK was recorded as 308.4 °C. After heat treatment, both tensile strength and flexural strength of PEEK and PEEK composites rose by 40%–50% and 65%–78%, respectively. Moreover, the as-prepared composites showed excellent fast neutron shielding performances. For shielding test pieces with thicknesses between 40 mm and 100 mm, the neutron shielding rates exhibited exponential variation as a function of boron carbide content. The addition of 5%–15% boron carbide significantly changed the curvature of the shielding rate curve, suggesting an optimal amount of boron carbide. Meanwhile, the integrated shielding/structure may effectively shield neutron radiation, thereby ensuring optimal shielding performances. In sum, further optimization of the proposed process could achieve lightweight materials with less consumables and small volume.

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“…The blending of thermoplastics with NR is a widely established technique to tailor the properties suitable for the application requirements. [11,12] Mohamed et al [13] and Zali et al [14] demonstrated enhanced neutron attenuating properties for thermoplastic-NR/boron carbide composites due to the increase in hydrogen and boron atomic density. Nevertheless, these thermoplastic-NR composites were rigid and not suitable for the application in the curved and irregular surface.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Viscoelastic and thermal properties of naturalrubber low‐density polyethylene composites with boric acid and borax

Abdulrahman

Ahmad

Thomas

et al. 2020

J of Applied Polymer Sci

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The influence of boric acid (BA) and borax (BO) neutron‐absorbing fillers on thermal stability and viscoelastic behavior of natural rubber (NR) low‐density polyethylene composites has been studied. The thermal degradation and dynamic mechanical properties of the composites have been analyzed as a function of temperature. The results revealed the enhancement of thermal stability of the composites by the addition of BA and BO fillers. The flame resistance of the material was improved by the addition of both the fillers. The storage modulus was found to be dependent upon the temperature and nature of the filler. The amount of NR chains immobilized by filler particles has been quantified from dynamic mechanical analysis and secondary filler/filler interactions have been verified by the Payne effect analysis. Finally, the experimental results have been compared with theoretical predictions.

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Neutron shielding behavior of thermoplastic natural rubber/boron carbide composites

Cited by 11 publications

References 6 publications

Mechanical and tribological characteristics of boron carbide reinforcement of AA6061 matrix composite

Mechanical and tribological characteristics of boron carbide reinforcement of AA6061 matrix composite

Neutron Shielding Performance of 3D-Printed Boron Carbide PEEK Composites

Viscoelastic and thermal properties of naturalrubber low‐density polyethylene composites with boric acid and borax

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