• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.50 no.3
• /
• pp.470-477
• /
• 2018

With a highly functional methyl vinyl silicone rubber (VMQ) matrix and filler materials of $B_4C$, PbO, and benzophenone (BP) and through powder surface modification, silicone rubber mixing, and vulcanized molding, a flexible radiation shielding and resistant composite was prepared in the study. The dispersion property of the powder in the matrix filler was improved by powder surface modification. BP was added into the matrix to enhance the radiation resistance performance of the composites. After irradiation, the tensile strength, elongation, and tear strength of the composites decreased, while the Shore hardness of the composites and the crosslinking density of the VMQ matrix increased. Moreover, the composites with BP showed better mechanical properties and smaller crosslinking density than those without BP after irradiation. The initial degradation temperatures of the composites containing BP before and after irradiation were $323.6^{\circ}C$ and $335.3^{\circ}C$, respectively. The transmission of neutrons for a 2-mm thick sample was only 0.12 for an Am-Be neutron source. The transmission of ${\gamma}$-rays with energies of 0.662, 1.173, and 1.332 MeV for 2-cm thick samples were 0.7, 0.782, and 0.795, respectively.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.54 no.10
• /
• pp.3855-3863
• /
• 2022

An evaluation of the radiation shielding performance of high-Z-particle-loaded polylactic acid (PLA) composite materials was pursued. Specimens were produced via fused deposition modeling (FDM) using copper-PLA, steel-PLA, and BaSO₄-PLA composite filaments containing 82.7, 75.2, and 44.6 wt% particulate phase contents, respectively, and were tested under broad-band flash x-ray conditions at the Sandia National Laboratories HERMES III facility. The experimental results for the mass attenuation coefficients of the composites were found to be in good agreement with GEANT4 simulations carried out using the same exposure conditions and an atomistic mixture as a model for the composite materials. Further simulation studies, focusing on the Cu-PLA composite system, were used to explore a shield design parameter space (in this case, defined by Cu-particle loading and shield areal density) to assess performance under both high-energy photon and electron fluxes over an incident energy range of 0.5-15 MeV. Based on these results, a method is proposed that can assist in the visualization and isolation of shield parameter coordinate sets that optimize performance under targeted radiation characteristics (type, energy). For electron flux shielding, an empirical relationship was found between areal density (AD), electron energy (E), composition and performance. In cases where ${\frac{E}{AD}}{\geq}2MeV{\bullet}cm{\bullet}g^{-1}$, a shield composed of >85 wt% Cu results in optimal performance. In contrast, a shield composed of <10 wt% Cu is anticipated to perform best against electron irradiation when ${\frac{E}{AD}}<2MeV{\bullet}cm{\bullet}g^{-1}$.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.48 no.6
• /
• pp.1396-1403
• /
• 2016

In this study, fast-curing shielding materials were prepared with a two-component polyurethane matrix and a filler material of PbO through a one-step, laboratory-scale method. With an increase in the filler content, viscosity increased. However, the two components showed a small difference. Curing time decreased as the filler content increased. The minimum tack-free time of 27 s was obtained at a filler content of 70 wt%. Tensile strength and compressive strength initially increased and then decreased as the filler content increased. Even when the filler content reached 60 wt%, mechanical properties were still greater than those of the matrix. Cohesional strength decreased as the filler content increased. However, cohesional strength was still greater than 100 kPa at a filler content of 60 wt%. The ${\gamma}$-ray-shielding properties increased with the increase in the filler content, and composite thickness could be increased to improve the shielding performance when the energy of ${\gamma}$-rays was high. When the filler content was 60 wt%, the composite showed excellent comprehensive properties.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
• /
• v.42 no.8
• /
• pp.629-639
• /
• 2014

This paper deals with an alternative multi-functional structures by using grid-stiffened composite structure with excellent bending stiffness and lightweight characteristics which is capable of easy embedding of electrical/electronic circuitry into structure. The enhancement of thermal conduction capability is made by the application of pitch-based carbon fiber. The lightweight radiation spot shielding technique is also proposed for multi-functional structures without conventional housing and the effectiveness of selective radiation shielding is validated through the proton irradiation test.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 2002

High energy photon beams from medical linear accelerators produce large scattered radiation by various components of the treatment head, collimator and walls or objects in the treatment room including the patient. These scattered radiation do not provide therapeutic dose and are considered a hazard from the radiation safety perspective. Scattered dose of therapeutic high energy radiation beams are contributed significant unwanted dose to the patient. ICRP take the position that a dose of 500mGy may cause abortion at any stage of pregnancy and that radiation detriment to the fetus includes risk of mental retardation with a possible threshold in the dose response relationship around 100 mGy for the gestational period. The ICRP principle of as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) was recommended for protection of occupation upon the linear no-threshold dose response hypothesis for cancer induction. We suggest this ALARA principle be applied to the fetus and testicle in therapeutic treatment. Radiation dose outside a photon treatment filed is mostly due to scattered photons. This scattered dose is a function of the distance from the beam edge, treatment geometry, primary photon energy, and depth in the patient. The need for effective shielding of the fetus and testicle is reinforced when young patients ate treated with external beam radiation therapy and then shielding designed to reduce the scattered photon dose to normal organs have to considered. Irradiation was performed in phantom using high energy photon beams produced by a Varian 2100C/D medical linear accelerator (Varian Oncology Systems, Palo Alto, CA) located at the Yonsei Cancer Center. The composite phantom used was comprised of a commercially available anthropomorphic Rando phantom (Phantom Laboratory Inc., Salem, YN) and a rectangular solid polystyrene phantom of dimensions $30cm{\times}30cm{\times}20cm$. the anthropomorphic Rando phantom represents an average man made from tissue equivalent materials that is transected into transverse 36 slices of 2.5cm thickness. Photon dose was measured using a Capintec PR-06C ionization chamber with Capintec 192 electrometer (Capintec Inc., Ramsey, NJ), TLD( VICTOREEN 5000. LiF) and film dosimetry V-Omat, Kodak). In case of fetus, the dosimeter was placed at a depth of loom in this phantom at 100cm source to axis distance and located centrally 15cm from the inferior edge of the $30cm{\times}30cm^2$ x-ray beam irradiating the Rando phantom chest wall. A acryl bridge of size $40cm{\times}40cm^2$ and a clear space of about 20 cm was fabricated and placed on top of the rectangular polystyrene phantom representing the abdomen of the patient. The leaf pot for testicle shielding was made as various shape, sizes, thickness and supporting stand. The scattered photon with and without shielding were measured at the representative position of the fetus and testicle. Measurement of radiation scattered dose outside fields and critical organs, like fetus position and testicle region, from chest or pelvic irradiation by large fie]d of high energy radiation beam was performed using an ionization chamber and film dosimetry. The scattered doses outside field were measured 5 - 10% of maximum doses in fields and exponentially decrease from field margins. The scattered photon dose received the fetus and testicle from thorax field irradiation was measured about 1 mGy/Gy of photon treatment dose. Shielding construction to reduce this scattered dose was investigated using lead sheet and blocks. Lead pot shield for testicle reduced the scatter dose under 10 mGy when photon beam of 60 Gy was irradiated in abdomen region. The scattered photon dose is reduced when the lead shield was used while the no significant reduction of scattered photon dose was observed and 2-3 mm lead sheets refuted the skin dose under 80% and almost electron contamination. The results indicate that it was possible to improve shielding to reduce scattered photon for fetus and testicle when a young patients were treated with a high energy photon beam.

• Composites Research
• /
• v.28 no.5
• /
• pp.265-269
• /
• 2015

Development of simple and efficient method for large-scale production of mechanically strong and electrically conductive graphene fiber is highly desirable for practical applications, such as fiber-reinforced composites, wearable electronics, and electromagnetic irradiation shielding. Here, we present a facile approach for the preparation of amine-functionalized graphene fibers by simple wet-spinning of diamine-functionalized graphene oxide (GO-$NH_2$), which is used because of its synthetic convenience, good dispersity, and scalable production with low cost. The amine-functionalized graphene fiber shows high electrical and mechanical properties compared to pristine graphene oxide fiber due to the electrostatic interaction between amine groups and electronegative functional groups of graphene oxide.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.165-171
• /
• 2002

Purpose : In order to perform craniospinal irradiation (CSI) in the supine position on patients who are unable to lie in the prone position, a new simulation technique using a CT simulator was developed and its availability was evaluated. Materials and Method : A CT simulator and a 3-D conformal treatment planning system were used to develop CSI in the supine position. The head and neck were immobilized with a thermoplastic mask in the supine position and the entire body was immobilized with a Vac-Loc. A volumetrie image was then obtained using the CT simulator. In order to improve the reproducibility of the patients' setup, datum lines and points were marked on the head and the body. Virtual fluoroscopy was peformed with the removal of visual obstacles such as the treatment table or the immobilization devices. After the virtual simulation, the treatment isocenters of each field were marked on the body and the immobilization devices at the conventional simulation room. Each treatment field was confirmed by comparing the fluoroscopy images with the digitally reconstructed radiography (DRR)/digitally composite radiography (DCR) images from the virtual simulation. The port verification films from the first treatment were also compared with the DRR/DCR images for a geometrical verification. Results : CSI in the supine position was successfully peformed in 9 patients. It required less than 20 minutes to construct the immobilization device and to obtain the whole body volumetric images. This made it possible to not only reduce the patients' inconvenience, but also to eliminate the position change variables during the long conventional simulation process. In addition, by obtaining the CT volumetric image, critical organs, such as the eyeballs and spinal cord, were better defined, and the accuracy of the port designs and shielding was improved. The differences between the DRRs and the portal films were less than 3 mm in the vertebral contour. Conclusion : CSI in the supine position is feasible in patients who cannot lie on prone position, such as pediatric patienta under the age of 4 years, patients with a poor general condition, or patients with a tracheostomy.