Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL, sa.8, ss.10842-10856, 2025 (SCI-Expanded)
Lead and lead-based shielding materials are widely employed in the healthcare sector to mitigate the harmful effects of X-rays, which are extensively used in diagnostic and therapeutic applications. This study explores the development of an alternative oxide-based material to replace lead. Composite materials were fabricated by reinforcing an AZ91 magnesium alloy matrix with varying weight fractions (5 %, 10 %, and 15 %) of SiC and BaSO4 ceramic particles using the powder metallurgy method. Physical properties, including Archimedean densities and microstructural characteristics (via SEM/EDS analysis), were examined. Additionally, the mass and linear attenuation coefficients (MAC, LAC), half- and tenth-value layers (HVL, TVL), effective atomic number (Zeff), and effective conductivity (Ceff) of the composites were analyzed to evaluate their X-ray shielding performance. Experimental X-ray permeability tests conducted on ten fabricated samples corroborated the theoretical results obtained using the Phy-X program. The AZ91 sample, without any reinforcement element, has the minimum LAC value of 57.71 cm-1 to 0.040 cm-1 in the energy range of 0.00891 MeV-15 MeV, while the 15 % BaSO4+AZ91 sample has the maximum LAC value of 246.82 cm- 1 to 0.067 cm- 1. The experimental X-ray attenuation of the AZ91 sample without any reinforcing element is 20.468 %. The analysis revealed that the composite material comprising 15 % BaSO4 exhibited superior shielding performance, making it a promising alternative to lead-based materials. This study demonstrates that incorporating SiC and BaSO4 into AZ91 significantly enhances the radiation protection properties, paving the way for the development of lightweight, non-toxic shielding materials for applications in healthcare and beyond.