Preparation and radiation attenuation performances of metal oxide filled polyethylene based composites for ionizing electromagnetic radiation shielding applications

Abstract

Linear low density polyethylene based and metal oxide (PbO and WO3) filled composites were prepared and characterized for ionizing electromagnetic radiation (IEMR) shielding applications. Density properties, microscopic structure and shielding performances of the composites with different filler loadings were investigated at three different IEMR energy regions as low (0-500 keV), intermediate (500-1100 keV) and high (>1100 keV). The prepared composites showed good IEMR attenuation performances especially for high filler loadings and some of them reached to or leave behind mass attenuation coefficients of elemental lead that is the most widely used shielding IEMR material.