Wearable and flexible radiation shielding natural rubber composites: Effect of different radiation shielding fillers

Flexible shielding materials based on natural rubber (NR) composites were successfully prepared and developed. The different radiation shielding fillers including barium carbonate (BaCO3), bismuth oxides (Bi2O3) and barium sulfate (BaSO4) were used as X-rays and gamma rays radiation shielding fillers in NR composites. Crosslink density and mechanical properties (i.e., modulus at 100% elongation, tensile strength, % Elongation at break, hardness and specific gravity) were investigated extensively. It was found that NR/Bi2O3 composite gave highest crosslink density, tensile strength, % Elongation at break and specific gravity. It is noted that all types of radiation shielding fillers showed insignificantly difference in term of modulus at 100% elongation and hardness. For the resulting of gamma radiation attenuation properties, it is seen that NR/Bi2O3 composite gave highest mass attenuation coefficient (μm), lead equivalent and lowest half value layer (HVL), inferring that NR/Bi2O3 composite could be better gamma radiation attenuation than those of NR/BaCO3 and NR/BaSO4 composite. For the X-rays radiation attenuation properties in terms of liner attenuation coefficient (μ), half value layer (HVL) and lead equivalent, the results gave good agreement with gamma radiation attenuation properties. In comparison of half value layer between NR/radiation shielding fillers composites and commercial available radiation shielding materials showed that the NR/Bi2O3 composite provided better gamma radiation shielding than those of commercial radiation shielding window, serpentine, hematite serpentine and ordinary concrete. In addition, all NR composite with different shielding fillers exhibited greater X-rays radiation shielding than those of commercial and X-rays window with better performance in term of flexibilities, extensibilities and elasticities. NR/Bi2O3 composite is the most suitable choice of preparing a novel flexible radiation shielding materials.