Investigation of gamma-ray radiation shielding properties of zinc borate and paraffin filled sheep wool biopolymer composites: Experimental and theoretical analysis

The present study examines the potential of sheep wool biopolymer composites filled with zinc borate and paraffin wax additives as a gamma-ray radiation shielding material. The selected novel composite samples were prepared with varying proportions of additive materials (10, 20, 30, and 40 wt%) so that impact of the additive amount on radiation shielding could be properly analyzed. Evaluations of specimens were performed at different energy levels ranging from 20 keV to 1.3325 MeV with help of a NaI scintillation detector, MC simulation (GEANT4) and WinXCOM theoretical calculation code. Following the production of shielding samples, the characterization and structural evaluation was performed using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FE- SEM /EDX) supported by EDAX energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The results demonstrate that the incorporation of additives into composite materials enhances the gamma attenuation capacity. The optimal gamma shielding performance is achieved with a 40 wt% ZnB40 composition, which exhibits superior shielding efficacy at lower gamma-ray energies. The MAC value of ZnB40 at 20 keV is about 2.7343 times higher than one of ZnB10 while it is about 1.2675 times greater at 80.9 keV. Moreover, it can be safely said that ZnB40 material can be a suitable option for insulating dentist rooms or buildings that require the use of regular aprons.