Impacts of Saudi Arabian fly ash on the structural, physical, and radiation shielding properties of clay bricks rich vermiculite mineral

The current study investigated Saudi Arabian oil fly ash impacts on Egyptian clay bricks' structural and radiation shielding properties. To produce the required bricks, crushed clay minerals from the Hafafit area were mixed with 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 % wt.% Saudi Arabian oil fly ash and pressed at a pressure rate of 68.55 MPa. Identification of the minerals in the chosen clay was achieved via X-ray diffraction. Additionally, the material's morphology and chemical composition were determined through scanning electron microscope and energy-dispersive X-ray. The fabricated bricks' density was reduced by 36.3 % through increasing the concentration of fly ash from 0 to 40 wt%. Then, the fly ash addition's influence on the fabricated clay bricks' γ-ray shielding properties was investigated by Monte Carlo simulation, which found a reduction in the fabricated bricks' linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) by 41.2, 36.0, 33.8, and 33.8 % at the 0.059, 0.103, 0.662, and 1.252 MeV γ-ray energies, respectively. The LAC reduction caused an increase in the fabricated bricks' half-value thickness, transmission factor, and the equivalent thickness of the lead. Moreover, the thicker fabricated sample thicknesses were found to have high γ-ray shielding capacity and can thus be used in radiation shielding applications.