Development of lead-free metal carbides and ceramic decorated HDPE composites for low energy X-ray shielding applications

Materials with high atomic numbers are effective for shielding ionizing radiation. However, some, such as lead, are toxic, and their disposal causes environmental damage. Polymer composites are a good choice for radiation shielding because they are environmentally friendly, lightweight and non-toxic. This study investigated the possibility of using high-density polyethylenhe (HDPE) composites doped with three different materials comprising the carbide (such as tungsten carbide, and molybdenum carbide) and ceramic (silicon carbide) as a kilo-voltage radiation shield. The linear attenuation coefficients of the composites ranged from 0.21 to 2.82cm−1. The measured results are in good agreement with XCOM with an average error of 13.82%. Through meticulous empirical analysis, including the assessment of linear and mass attenuation coefficients, half-value layer (HVL), and mean free path (MFP), our findings suggest that HDPE composites doped with 15% MoC present the most promising configuration for low-energy X-ray shielding (30–50 keV). This work concludes that HDPE composites decorated with MoC and W could be used as an alternative and environment-friendly material for shielding of kilo-voltage X-rays in medical diagnostics and research environments.