The determination of neutron and gamma shielding properties of composites contaning nano boron

The most important way of radiation protection is the use of appropriate shielding materials in nuclear applications. For an effective protection from nuclear radiations, studies on different shielding materials to be an alternative for the traditional ones have increased recently. In this study, production of a novel shielding material that can be used easily in the nuclear environments providing shielding of neutron radiation and gamma rays that result from neutron adsorption process were produced. They are the nano composites with two main matrix structures such as high density polyethylene, HDPE and polyimide, PI, having different weight fraction of h-BN, B4C ve Gd2O3 nano particles. For this, firstly, h-BN, B4C ve Gd2O3 nano structures were synthesizedby arc-discharge and ball milling methods. The properties of nano particles produced were analysed using SEM and TEM imaging, XRD, EDX and Raman techniques. The neutron and gamma shielding [total macrosobic cross-seciton (S, cm-1) and mass attenuation coefficient (µ/r, cm2g-1)] and mechanical properties [tensile strength (MPa), elongation at break (%), elastic modulus (MPa) and haredness] of nano composites with different structure and compositions were investigated. The results show that, the best shield materials for neutron and gamma shielding are (BN+Gd2O3)/PI and (B4C+Gd2O3)/YYPE nano composites so that the macroscobic cross section (S) of (11%BN+3%Gd2O3)/PI composite was as high as 0,4052 cm-1 and an avarage of 90% of neutrons was absorbed in samples having 2 cm average thicness.