Developing light nano-composites with improved mechanical properties for neutron shielding
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F. Jamali
Abstract
Although radiation exposures in manned space missions are normally below the limits recommended to NASA by NCRP, in long-duration deep space exploratory missions astronauts may receive relatively high doses of ionizing radiation. Novel light polyethylene-based composites can be considered as effective radiation shields in space explorations. However, normally these composites cannot provide desired mechanical properties. Over the past several years our laboratories have focused on developing efficient methods for both physical and biological protection of the crew in long term space missions. In this study carbon nanotubes and either nano-sized or micro-sized boron carbide (B4C) fillers were incorporated into the continuous phase of low density polyethylene (LDPE). In the next phase, the mechanical characteristics of the composites as well as their neutron attenuation properties were studied. Findings of this study indicated enhanced mechanical properties accompanied by an enhanced shielding efficiency for neutrons at some specific weight fraction of the fillers.
Kurzfassung
Obwohl die Strahlenexposition bei bemannten Raumflügen normalerweise unter den von der NCRP der NASA empfohlenen Grenzwerten liegt, könnten Astronauten bei Langzeitweltraumflügen relative hohe Dosen ionisierender Strahlung erhalten. Neue, leichte Verbundwerkstoffe auf Polyethylen-Basis können als effektive Abschirmung in der Weltraumforschung betrachtet werden. Diese Verbundwerkstoffe haben jedoch oft nicht die nötigen mechanischen Eigenschaften. In den letzten Jahren haben sich unsere Laboratorien auf die Entwicklung von effizienten Methoden zum physikalischen und biologischen Schutz der Crew bei Langzeitweltraumflügen konzentriert. Im vorliegenden Beitrag wurden Kohlenstoffnanoröhren und Borkarbid (B4C)-Füllungen in Nano- bzw. Mikrogröße in die kontinuierliche Phase von Polyethylen niedriger Dichte (LDPE) einbezogen. In der nächsten Phase wurden die mechanischen Eigenschaften der Kompositen und ihre Neutronenschwächungseigenschaften untersucht. Die Ergebnisse dieser Studie zeigten verbesserte mechanische Eigenschaften mit verstärkter Abschirmwirkung für Neutronen bei einigen spezifischen Gewichtsanteilen der Füllungen.
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Articles in the same Issue
- Contents/Inhalt
- Contents
- Summaries/Kurzfassungen
- Summaries
- Technical Contributions/Fachbeiträge
- Investigation into the impacts of distributed inlet temperature on thermal limit during LFWH event in Chinshan plant
- Experimental study on saturated boiling of two phase natural circulation under low pressure in narrow rectangular channels
- Criticality safety analysis of TK-13 cask in Bushehr nuclear power plant
- Preliminary neutronic study on Pu-based OTTO cycle pebble bed reactor
- Developing light nano-composites with improved mechanical properties for neutron shielding
- Time-dependent variation of the neutron multiplication factor in spent fuel storage
- Investigation of the thermal performance of natTe target for 124I production in the RARS cyclotron
- Ultrasonic-resonator-combined apparatus for purifying nuclear aerosol particles
- Adams-Bashforth-Moulton method with Savitzky-Golay filter to reduce reactivity fluctuations
- Application of Pareto optimization method for ontology matching in nuclear reactor domain
- Technical Note
- New finite element-based modeling of reactor core support plate failure
- The critical slab problem for pure-triplet anisotropic scattering by singular eigenfunction method
