Synergistic Effects of Tungsten and Antimony in Silicone Rubber: Towards a Lead‐Free Radiation Shielding Material

ABSTRACT

The increased need for lightweight, flexible, and nontoxic alternatives to lead has led to the development of novel materials for radiation shielding applications. In this regard, novel Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) based tungsten/antimony multi‐filler systems have been successfully fabricated, which not only provided effective gamma shielding properties but also offered outstanding flexibility and mechanical performance. The addition of multiple high‐Z fillers resulted in a synergic improvement in photon attenuation, when compared to the traditional single filler system. The optimized polymer composite gave a phenomenal mass attenuation coefficient of 2.8455 cm ² /g at 80 keV, better than that of lead under the same circumstances, offering radiation protection efficiency of 97.32% at a thickness of 0.6 cm. Additionally, the increased tensile strength and hardness provided substantial evidence of reinforcement. Unlike the traditional hard and toxic shielding materials, the developed composites provide improved attenuation properties along with mechanical resilience, flexibility, nontoxic and 8%–17% of the weight compared to lead at the same volume. The results pave a way forward towards improved radiation shielding technology applications.