Enhanced radiation shielding and structural characteristics of Sb2O3-infused ceramic composites: Experimental and theoretical perspectives
Radiation Physics and Chemistry, cilt.249, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 249
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.radphyschem.2026.114222
- Dergi Adı: Radiation Physics and Chemistry
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Chemical Abstracts Core, Chimica, Compendex, EMBASE, INSPEC, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Engineering Source (EBSCO)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Ceramic, Ionizing radiation, SEM, Shielding parameters
- Gazi Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
In this study, antimony trioxide (Sb2O3) was incorporated at controlled weight fractions into a conventional aluminosilicate ceramic system comprising Al2Si2O5(OH)4, KAlSi3O8, and SiO2 to fabricate radiation shielding ceramics via standard powder processing, firing, and sintering. The gamma-ray attenuation performance of the composites was evaluated using sealed sources emitting discrete photon energies: 241Am (59.5 keV), 133Ba (81 keV), 57Co (122 keV), 137Cs (661.7 keV), and 60Co (1173.2 and 1332.5 keV), employing a narrow-beam transmission geometry to determine linear attenuation coefficients. Among the samples, Sb3 (30 wt% Sb2O3) exhibited the highest enhancement in attenuation. At 122 keV, the MAC increased from 0.06 to 0.333 cm2/g, while the LAC rose from 0.093 to 0.734 cm−1, indicating a marked reduction in transmitted photon flux. The experimental attenuation coefficients generally followed the theoretical trends predicted by the WinXCom program, although slight deviations were observed at the highest photon energies, which may be attributed to experimental uncertainties and detector-related effects. The superior performance of Sb3 is attributed to the increased effective atomic number and density resulting from Sb2O3 incorporation. Overall, the Sb2O3-doped aluminosilicate ceramics developed here represent a durable, cost-effective, and thermally stable material class with strong potential for applications in nuclear facilities, medical imaging, aerospace radiation shielding, and other environments requiring long-term protection against ionizing radiation.