Superiority of micro/nano tungsten carbide reinforced poly-methyl methacrylate composites in shielding gamma radiation

This research aimed to develop lead-free polymer composites based on poly-methyl methacrylate (PMMA) and embedded with tungsten carbide (WC) micro and nanoparticles for use in radiation protection applications. PMMA was filled with 20 %, 40 %, and 60 % by weight of WC micro- and nanoparticles. The shielding features of the proposed polymer mixtures were evaluated at different radioactive sources of different energies using the HPGe detector. The results revealed that the investigated composites containing micro and nano-structured WC particles showed superior radiation shielding at 81 keV due to the K-edge of the W element occurring at 69.5 keV. The findings also demonstrated that composites loaded with WC nanoparticles were more effective in shielding gamma radiation than those loaded with WC microparticles, even at the same filler wt.%. Furthermore, the sample containing 60 % by weight of nano-WC, coded as P-60nWC, had superior shielding performance than other polymer-based composites reported in the literature. Thus, the proposed nano-WC/PMMA composites can be effectively employed in radiation facilities as alternative environmentally and lead-free radiation shielding materials to protect people and the environment from the harmful risks of gamma radiation.