Correlation between the structure, grain size distribution and radiation shielding peculiarities of YBCO ceramics prepared by two different milling methods

This search addresses the influence of different planetary ball grinding (PBM) parameters on the physical properties and radiation shielding performances of Y3Ba5Cu8Oy (Y358) ceramic. A series of bulks Y358 samples were prepared using hand-milled and planetary ball-milled precursor powders assisted sintering process. The structure, morphology, and radiation shielding characteristics of Y358 ceramic were systematically studied. It was found that the PBM is a successful way for the formation of the Y358 phase with the orthorhombic structure. Moreover, the use of optimal PBM parameters led to an improvement of the density of Y358 ceramic. The radiation shielding parameters including the half-value layer, linear attenuation coefficient, and transmission factor were simulated by the reliable Monte Carlo code. The analysis showed a strong relationship between porosity, grain size and the shielding capacity of the ceramics where the best shielding capacity was achieved for the lowest porous samples.