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- MakaleYalnız künye2026Scopus SJRQ2Radiation shielding performance and microstructural characterization of Al–Cu-Sc/B4C nanocomposites
Şirin, Murat; Kaya, Selim; Temiz, Cengiz; Çağlar, Seyit
This study investigates the gamma-ray and fast-neutron shielding performance of Al–Cu–Sc/B4C nanocomposites containing 0–20 wt% boron carbide (B4C). The composites were produced using melt spinning, high-energy ball milling, and vacuum sintering techniques. Their structural and microstructural characteristics were examined by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Gamma-ray attenuation properties were measured experimentally at photon energies of 0.662, 1.173, and 1.333 MeV using a high-purity germanium detector. In addition, theoretical calculations were carried out in the 0.05–2.50 MeV energy range using Monte Carlo simulations together with the Phy-X/PSD calculation platform. Several radiation shielding parameters were evaluated, including the mass attenuation coefficient, half-value layer, mean free path, radiation protection efficiency, effective atomic number, and fast-neutron removal cross-section. The results show that the incorporation of B4C improves the fast-neutron shielding capability of the composites. The sample containing 20 wt% B4C exhibits an increase of approximately 32% in fast-neutron removal cross-section compared with the reference alloy. A slight reduction in gamma-ray attenuation is observed at low photon energy, whereas the shielding performance at medium and high energies remains nearly unchanged. These findings indicate that Al–Cu–Sc/B4C nanocomposites are promising lightweight and lead-free candidates for shielding against mixed gamma and neutron radiation. Their low density and the absence of toxic lead support potential applications in medical radiation facilities, nuclear technology systems, aerospace platforms, and industrial radiation environments where both radiation protection and weight reduction are important.
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İncele - MakaleYalnız künye2026Scopus SJRQ2Assessment of gamma-ray attenuation properties in advanced ceramics incorporating colemanite, pyrophyllite, and plastic clay
Uysal, Turan; Kaya, Selim
This study investigates the gamma-ray and neutron shielding performance of advanced ceramic composites containing colemanite, pyrophyllite, and plastic clay as environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional lead-based shielding materials. Gamma-ray attenuation properties were evaluated over the energy range of 59.54–2000 keV using theoretical calculations from WinXCOM and Monte Carlo simulations performed with the EGS4 code. Excellent agreement between the two methods confirmed the reliability of the simulation results. The mass attenuation coefficient (μ/ρ) decreased with increasing photon energy due to the transition from photoelectric absorption to Compton scattering and pair production mechanisms. Correspondingly, the half-value layer (HVL) and mean free path (MFP) increased, while radiation protection efficiency (RPE) decreased with photon energy. The effective atomic number (Zeff) exhibited an energy-dependent decline, reflecting changes in dominant photon–matter interaction processes. Neutron shielding performance improved with increasing colemanite content owing to the presence of boron-rich phases, and Sample-5 exhibited the highest fast neutron removal cross-section (ΣR = 0.11062 cm−1). The same sample also showed the highest gamma-ray kerma coefficients, indicating enhanced energy absorption capability. Overall, the results demonstrate that colemanite-enriched ceramic composites provide effective combined gamma-ray and neutron shielding and represent promising, sustainable, and non-toxic alternatives for radiation protection applications.
