Gamma-ray, fast neutron and ion shielding characteristics of low-density and high-entropy Mg–Al–Ti–V–Cr–Fe–Zr–Nb alloy systems using Phy-X/PSD and SRIM programs

This study aimed to assess the radiation shielding properties of ten low-density high-entropy alloys (LWHEAs) using Phy-X/PSD software to analyze various shielding parameters, such as attenuation coefficients (μm and μ), mean free path (λ), effective atomic number (Zeff), and removal cross-section (ΣR), in the energy range of Image 1 to Image 2. A comprehensive evaluation was performed to compare the attenuation outcomes provided by HEAs with a range of shielding materials documented in the literature. The study also calculated the build-up factors (BUFs) of the alloys by using the GP-fitting interpolation method. The stopping power of the alloys against H1/He+2 ions was analyzed using the SRIM Monte Carlo code, considering total stopping power (TSP) and projected range (PR). The results indicated that HEA8 (Al3.88Cr14.95Mo27.58Nb26.71Ti13.76Zr13.11) had the best performance in terms of shielding against γ-rays, fast neutrons, and H1/He+2 ions, as it achieved the highest values of parameters such as μm, μ, Zeff, and ΣR, along with the lowest values of HVL, TVL, λ, BUFs (Image 3Image 4), TSP, and PR. On the other hand, HEA10 (Mg10.77Al11.96Mn24.35Fe24.75Cu28.17) had the lowest BUFs in both lower (Image 5Image 4) and higher (Image 6Image 4) energy regions. The order of μm for the alloys was found to be HEA5