Lead–bismuth tungstate composite as a protective barrier against gamma rays

Abstract The expanded use of radiations in diagnosis therapy, energy sectors, and various industries caused considerable concerns resulting from the increased exposure to ionizing radiations. Therefore, a series of tungsten-based composites (Bi2WO6, PbWO4, and Pb0.82Bi0.12WO4/W0.5Pb0.5Bi12O20) were synthesized, through One-Pot Hydrothermal Route, as effective protective barriers against gamma rays (γ-rays). The synthesized composite materials were characterized by XRD, Raman spectrometry, SEM-EDX-mapping, and density measurements. Various parameters were experimentally measured to determine the composites' viability as radiation shields, including linear attenuation coefficient (LAC), enhancement ratio, radiation protection efficiency, half-value layer, and mean free path. The narrow beam experimental gamma-photon transmission method was used to estimate the LAC's values for the synthesized composites using Cs-137 (with energies of 0.662 and 1.173 MeV) and Co-60 isotopes (with energy of 1.332 MeV). Among the investigated novel composites, the ternary composite (Pb0.82Bi0.12WO4/W0.5Pb0.5Bi12O20) proved to be the most efficient radiation shield. The MCNP-5 Monte Carlo simulation code and XCOM theoretical calculations data were in excellent harmony with the obtained experimental findings. The obtained results confirmed a strong relationship between the synthesized composites' chemical composition and their shielding capacity, where the ternary synthesized composite Pb0.82Bi0.12WO4/W0.5Pb0.5Bi12O20 with high lead-bismuth content has the highest LAC among the synthesized composites.