Radiation shielding properties of aluminium alloys

Abstract

X-ray/gamma, neutron, electromagnetic and Bremsstrahlung shielding parameters were studied for the different aluminium alloys such as Al–Li, Duralumin, Hiduminium, Hydronalium, Italma, Magnalium, Ni–Ti–Al and Y-alloy. X-ray/gamma shielding properties such as mass attenuation coefficient, Half Value layer (HVL), Tenth Value layer (TVL), effective atomic number ($Z_{eff}$), electron density ($n_e$), build-up factors (BF), KERMA coefficient (KE), and radiation protection efficiency (RPE) of Al alloys of various compositions were studied. Shielding effectiveness for electromagnetic radiation at different frequency ranges from radio waves to infrared radiations is studied in the above-mentioned aluminium alloys. Further, we investigated neutron scattering lengths and cross sections for the above alloys. Bremsstrahlung shielding parameters such as Bremsstrahlung dose rate, probability of bremsstrahlung and bremstrahlung production efficiency were also studied. Bremsstrahlung's dose rate for the distinct β emitters corresponding to maximum energy are investigated for the different aluminium alloys. Thorough investigations reveal that Ni–Ti–Al aluminium alloy is found to be a good absorber of X-ray/γ radiation, neutron, electromagnetic and Bremsstrahlung radiations. As a consequence, we recommend Ni–Ti–Al as a good radiation shielding material among the aluminium alloys.

Keywords:

• Shielding parameters
• dose rate
• aluminium alloy
• bremsstrahlung radiation
• neutron shielding parameter

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

K. V. Sathish

K. V. Sathish is an Assistant Professor of Physics, He has 14 years of teaching experience and 6 years research experience. He has done his Phd from Bharathidasan University and published more than 10 papers. His main research interest is on X-ray/gamma radiation shielding properties of Aluminium-BariumZinc Oxide nanoparticles synthesized via low temperature solution combustion method.

N. Sowmya

N. Sowmya's accomplishments include receiving the ‘Best Research Paper Award’ from IANCAS for their work on alpha-ternary fission fragments and cluster radioactivity studies. They were honored with the ‘Dr. Tarun Datta Memorial Award-2022’ by IANCAS for outstanding contributions in Nuclear and Radiochemistry. With over 125 research papers published in various international journals, proceedings, and a textbook, their contributions are highly impactful.

R. Munirathnam

R. Munirathnam is a Research Scholar, pursuing PhD in Bharathidasan University and published more than 10 papers. His main research interest is on Aloe vera-mediated green synthesis of bismuth-zinc-iron nanocomposite for radiation shielding applications.

H. C. Manjunatha

H. C. Manjunatha received prestigious awards including ‘Dr. Tarun Datta Memorial Award-2018’ from IANCAS, ‘Sir C.V. Raman Young Scientist Award-2021’ from Karnataka State Council, and recognition for impactful research papers and presentations in nuclear and radiochemistry, along with being named in Stanford University's ‘World's Top 2% Scientists-2021’ list.

L. Seenappa

L. Seenappa is an Associate professor of Physics, he has 25 years of teaching experience and 12 years research experience. He has done his PhD from Bharathiar University and also published more than 100 papers in the field of nuclear physics. Also Recipient of Best oral presentation award during Solid state nuclear track detector and their applications (SSNTD-20), 26-28 October 2017, Mysuru, India.

K. N. Sridhar

K. N. Sridhar is an Assistant Professor of Physics, he has 25 years of teaching experience and 12 years research experience. He has done his PhD from Bharathiar University and also published more than 130 papers. Also recipient of Best poster presentation award for the research paper ‘Projectile-target combination to synthesis ²⁹⁵Uue’ during National Conference on Radiation Physics and its applications in material science and medicine, 7-8 April 2018.