An Experimental Study on Gamma Radiation Attenuation Effectiveness of Magnetite and Serpentine Doped Ceramics

Abstract

The present study aims to investigate the gamma-ray (gamma) and fast neutrons attenuation characteristics of magnetite and serpentine doped ceramics via theoretical and experimental. gamma radiation permeability experiments were carried out by preparing a new type of ceramics with magnetite (M) and serpentine (S) additives [0 (C), 10 (M1; S1), 20 (M2; S2), 30 (M3; S3), wt %]. The fabricated shields were exposed to gamma radiation with 81, 160, 223, 302, 356 and 383 keV energies emitted from (133)Barium radioisotope and the measured intensities were detected by Canberra Ultra Ge detector. The parameters such as mass attenuation coefficients (mu(rho)), effective atomic numbers (Z(eff)), electron densities (N-el), half-value thickness (Delta(0.5)) and mean free path (lambda) characterizing the gamma shielding properties of the materials were determined. All theoretical gamma shielding parameters were calculated by running the EpiXS program. And also, exposure (EBF) and energy absorption (EABF) buildup factor values of ceramics were determined at different mean-free paths and photon energies using the EpiXS program. And finally, the macroscopic removal cross-section values (Sigma(R)) for fast neutrons of ceramics were computed. It was found that the density of the ceramic sample increases with the addition of ore. The values of (mu(rho)) are found to depend on the concentration of ore in the ceramics. The mu(rho) values of M3 ceramic are the highest whereas the mu(rho) values of C ceramic are the lowest in all studied ceramics. The M3 has the lowest half-value thickness (Delta(0.5)) and mean free path (lambda) values compared to other studied ceramics. The values of Z(eff) and N-el change as S3<S2<S1<C < M1<M2<M3. Obtained findings show that M3 ceramic is a superior gamma shield for several gamma energy. The Macroscopic removal cross-section values for fast neutrons vary in order of C < S1<M1<S2<S3<M2<M3. M3 has the highest fast neutron absorption quality.