LDPE matrix composites reinforced with dysprosium-boron containing compounds for radiation shielding applications

The growing adoption of neutron radiation technology by various industries , medical sectors have in-creased the interest in developing light, flexible , reliable shielding materials. Herein, a composite powder containing boron carbide, dysprosium tetraboride, dysprosium oxoborate, and dysprosium boron carbide compounds have been synthesized via one-pot sol-gel method and employed as a reinforcement material in the production of a novel low-density polyethylene (LDPE) matrix composite. The chemical, mechanical, morphological, thermal properties, and neutron radiation shielding performance of the com-posite are investigated. SEM-EDX investigations confirmed that reinforcement particles were homo-geneously dispersed and strongly encapsulated in the LDPE matrix. The tensile strength, Young's modulus, and elongation at break of the LDPE matrix composite were found to be 12.3 MPa, 203.7 MPa, and 82.7%, respectively. Moreover, 1.7 wt% particles reinforced the LDPE matrix composite provided 31.63% and 49.64% neutron shielding at 2.5 mm and 5 mm plate thickness, respectively. The developed composite exhibited not only effective neutron shielding performance but also was competitive with a pure boron carbide -containing LDPE matrix composite. As dysprosium provides larger gamma-ray protection relative to boron, the developed LDPE matrix composite can be promising for safety applications requiring protection against both neutron and gamma radiations.(c) 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.