A study on usability of Ahlat ignimbrites and pumice as radiation shielding materials, by using EpiXS code

Ignimbrites are extensively used in historical places, houses, hospitals, mosques, graveyard stones etc. worldwide especially in Ahlat-Bitlis, Turkey. These stones have prominent features such as good-insulation, durability and lightness. Another natural material that is widely preferred in the construction sector due to its advantages is pumice. In this paper, ignimbrites in black, light yellow, white, yellow colors and pumice from Ahlat region were studied for their radiation shielding properties. In this regard, EpiXS code was used to determine the radiation attenuation parameters such as mass attenuation coefficient, total atomic cross-section values, effective atomic number, electron density and buildup factors of the samples. By EpiXS code, it is possible to have the parameters without the knowledge of the sample density, and this property will shed light on future works. The mass attenuation coefficients of the samples and ordinary concrete, a widely used shielding material, were also determined by another well-known code, WinXCom, to see the compatibility of the values. Additionally, total atomic cross-section values of ordinary concrete were calculated by the code in order to compare the obtained results and make an evaluation about the shielding ability of the ignimbrites and pumice. It is obtained that all the studied samples have more shielding potential than ordinary concrete. Yellow ignimbrite has the highest shielding ability, while pumice has the least.