Radiation attenuation properties of shields containing micro and Nano WO3 in diagnostic X-ray energy range

It has recently been shown that the particle size of materials used for radiation shielding can affect the magnitude of radiation attenuation. Over the past years, application of nano-structured materials in radiation shielding has attracted attention world-wide. The purpose of this study was to investigate the shielding properties of the lead-free shields containing micro and nano-sized WO3 against low energy x-rays.
The radiation shields were constructed using nano and micro WO3 particles incorporated into an EPVC polymer matrix. The attenuation coefficients of the designed shields were evaluated for low energy x-rays (diagnostic radiology energy range).
The results indicate that nano-structured WO3/PVC shields have higher photon attenuation properties compared to those of the micro-sized samples.
Our experiment clearly shows that the smaller size of nano-structured WO3 particles can guarantee a better radiation shielding property. However, it is too early to draw any conclusion on the possible mechanisms of enhanced attenuation of nano-sized WO3 particles.