Enhancing gamma radiation shielding properties of iron metal and natural rubber composites

AbstractA comparative study was conducted to investigate the gamma and neutron radiation shielding properties of composites made from iron metal (micro and nano) dispersed within natural rubber (NR). The aim was to attenuate neutron and γ‐rays. The study utilized the gamma spectroscopy technique and the Monte Carlo FLUKA code. To assess the gamma ray shielding, a 3×3 Nal (Tl) detector and radioactive point sources were employed. Two comparative studies were carried out, one using Fe loaded NR (Fe/NR) composites in microsize and the other using Fe/NR composites in nanosize. The objective was to determine the impact of iron nanoparticles on the shielding ability of the composites. The findings revealed that the Fe/NR composites in nanosize exhibited superior gamma radiation shielding ability compared with the Fe/NR composites in microsize. These results were supported by the FLUKA Monte Carlo code, which demonstrated good agreement with both the experimental and theoretical XCOM data.