Radiation interaction and structure analyses of ceramic dye added PLA polymers

Radiation shielding applications are a fundamental necessity in all fields where radiation technology is utilized. This thesis aims to investigate the usability of composites, obtained by adding Cr₂O₃ and Sb₂O₃-based ceramic pigments to Polylactic Acid (PLA), a polymer widely used in 3D printers, as shielding materials against gamma and neutron radiation. In addition to incorporating the selected ceramic pigments into the polymer material, the outer surfaces of samples made of pure PLA were coated with the specified ceramic pigments using the Dip Coating method. Firstly, the morphology and properties of the doped and coated polymer composites were evaluated using SEM analysis. After confirming the successful production of the samples through SEM analyses, key parameters such as linear attenuation coefficient and half-value layer were determined for the samples to evaluate their gamma radiation shielding performance using both experimental methods and the GEANT4 simulation program. The findings were supported by theoretical calculations using the WinXCOM program. It was found that PLA containing 10% Sb₂O₃ provided more effective protection against gamma radiation, especially at low energies, compared to other samples. The neutron shielding capabilities of the produced samples were evaluated theoretically by calculating the fast neutron removal cross-section and further investigated by simulating the number of neutrons passing through the samples using the GEANT4 simulation program. In the neutron radiation shielding calculations, secondary radiation and radiation damage generated with the help of the GEANT4 program were also considered. The findings revealed that commercially available ceramic pigments enhance the fast neutron shielding capability of PLA polymer.