Material characterization and Monte Carlo simulation of lead and non-lead X-Ray shielding materials

In this paper, the compositions of commercial lead and non-lead X-ray protective materials were investigated by material analysis methods as FTIR-ATR, SEM/EDS, and density measurement to estimate the content of the structures, which were not declared explicitly by the manufacturers. Moreover, Monte Carlo simulations were carried out with the estimated weight ratio of the element amounts and actual densities. Hypothetical compositions were also generated and all the compositions were evaluated in terms of weight per area values versus dose transmission values. The results show that non-lead materials are basically composed of antimony and bismuth. The commercial material with the lowest density showed insufficient attenuation performance, hence it should not be proposed for lightweight apron production. The simulation results indicated also that non-lead compositions that contain adequate amount of radiopaque elements can be environmentally friendly alternatives for lightweight aprons at 60 kV and 90 kV. Besides, at higher levels as 120 kV, non-lead compositions lose their weight advantage against lead compositions.