Flexible gamma ray shielding based on natural Rubber/BaSO4 nanocomposites

This study aims to fabricate lead-free, flexible gamma ray shielding based on natural rubber (NR) with the original-sized barium sulphate (BaSO4) and BaSO4 nanocomposites. The shielding composites were successfully fabricated with various fillers loading of 10, 20, 30 and 50 parts per hundred rubbers (phr). The physical and mechanical properties of the NR composites have been investigated. The gamma ray shielding properties were measured with 57Co (122.06 keV) and 133Ba (356.02 keV) sources. Our results indicated that additional filler concentrations into NR increased density, hardness (shore A), tensile modulus, tensile strength, and elongation at break of NR. Tensile properties and elongation at break of NR with BaSO4 nanoparticles were slightly lower than the ordinary-sized BaSO4. For the gamma ray shielding properties, the linear attenuation coefficient (μ) mass attenuation coefficient (μm) were increased with the increasing of fillers concentrations. The half value layer (HVL) was decreased with the increasing of BaSO4 and BaSO4 nanoparticles in NR. In comparison of shielding properties between NR with BaSO4 nanoparticles and the ordinary-sized BaSO4 showed that the NR with nanocomposites provided better gamma radiation shielding due to the large surface to volume area of nanocomposites. In conclusion, the novel developed shielding based on NR/BaSO4 nanocomposites showed a promising result for developing potential radiation shielding due to their flexibility, lightweight and lead-free shielding material.