Analysis of particle size on mass dependent attenuation capability of bulk and nanoparticle PbO radiation shields

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the effect of particle size on the mass dependent attenuation ability of bulk and nanoparticles PbO. The mass attenuation coefficient, or MAC, of the samples was experimentally calculated using the HPGe detector at various selected energies (between 0.1218 MeV and 1.408 MeV). The experimental data were then compared to theoretical results obtained using the XCOM software to examine the validity of the experimental values. The two methods were found to strongly agree with each other. The half value layer (HVL) and tenth value layer (TVL) of the two samples were determined against increasing photon energies. The mass of the bulk PbO and PbO nanoparticles needed to attenuate half and 90% of the incoming radiation was evaluated. For both parameters, the results demonstrated that the mass needed to absorb the same amount of radiation was lower for the PbO nanoparticles, meaning that the PbO nanoparticles are more desirable in applications when mass is a concern, such as when fabricating a lead apron for instance.