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2026-06-11 23:58

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Conference: Bucharest University Faculty of Physics 2026 Meeting

Section: Nuclear and Elementary Particles Physics

Title:

Development and characterization of polymer composite materials for ionizing radiation shielding applications

Authors:

Catalin PATRU 1, Aurel DIACON 1, Gabriela TOADER 1, Daniela GURAU 2, Elena NEACSU 2

Affiliation:

1 Military Technical Academy Ferdinand I

2 Horia Hulubei National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH)

E-mail

daniela.gurau@nipne.ro

Keywords:

radiation shielding; polymer composites; gamma radiation attenuation; advanced materials; ionizing radiation

Abstract:

The increasing use of ionizing radiation in nuclear, medical, industrial and CBRN-related applications motivates the demand for lightweight, adaptable shielding materials capable of combining high attenuation efficiency with mechanical robustness. This work investigates the design, fabrication and performance of polymer-based composite materials tailored for gamma radiation shielding. The study focuses on polyurethane matrices incorporating inorganic functional fillers (including carbides and MXene-based nanostructures), with the objective of establishing correlations between composition, microstructure and shielding efficiency. Initial investigations on polyurea systems revealed limitations related to rapid reaction kinetics and poor filler dispersion, leading to the adoption of polyurethane as a more controllable and compatible matrix. Composite formulations with varying filler types and concentrations were synthesized and characterized using complementary techniques. Structural and chemical interactions were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), confirming the formation of the polymer network and highlighting predominantly physical interactions at the filler–matrix interface. Mechanical behavior was evaluated through tensile, shear, indentation and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), providing insight into viscoelastic response and filler-induced reinforcement mechanisms. An important contribution of this work consists in the experimental evaluation of the shielding efficiency using real laboratory radioactive sources. The attenuation behavior of the developed composites was analyzed as a function of the filler type, concentration, morphology and dispersion in the polymer matrix. The results obtained demonstrated significant differences in shielding performance and mechanical behavior, depending on the composite architecture and interfacial compatibility. The results highlight the beneficial role of MXenes and other inorganic fillers in improving both mechanical properties and radiation attenuation capacity. The findings contribute to the development of lightweight and adaptable shielding materials with potential applications in radiological protection and CBRN environments. This work provides a validated experimental framework for optimizing composite architectures and supports further development toward scalable and application-oriented solutions.

References:

K. Chand, X. Zhang, and Y. Chen, Recent progress in MXene and graphene based nanocomposites for microwave absorption and electromagnetic interference shielding, Arab. J. Chem., vol. 15, no. 10, p. 104143, 2022, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arabjc.2022.104143 .

Y. Saadu Itas, A. Baballe, A. Alodhayb, R. Haldhar, and M. K. Hossain, Radiation shielding properties of 35-XBaO-15CaO-5Al2O3-10B2O3-35SiO2-XBNNT (X=5, 10, 15, 20) glass reinforced with boron nitride nanotubes, Optical Materials, vol. 148, p. 114957, 2024/02/01/ 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.optmat.2024.114957 .

E. M. Huseynov, R. R. Hakhiyeva, and N. M. Mehdiyev, FTIR study of nanocrystalline titanium carbide (TiC) particles exposed to gamma radiation, Solid State Communications, vol. 378, p. 115417, 2024/02/01/ 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssc.2023.115417 .

Acknowledgement:

This work was supported by NUCLEU Program within the National Research Development and Innovation Plan 2022-2027, carried out with the support of Management Center of Research, Development and Innovation (CMCDI), project code PN 23-21. Aurel Diacon and Gabriela Toader acknowledge support by grants of the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitization, CNCS UEFISCDI, project number PN-IV-P2-2.1-TE-2023-0806 - ctr. 55TE/2025 and project number PN-IV-P7–7.1-PTE-2024-0486 - ctr. no 1PTE/2025.