Mechanical characterization of polyethylene-based thermoplastic composite materials for radiation shielding

Abstract Polyethylene is a hydrogen-rich polymer and has been used in making composite materials for radiation shielding. It has been shown that the radiation shielding properties of polyethylene are enhanced through the incorporation of multifunctional nanostructured materials into the matrix of the polymer. In this study, composites of boron nitride added to injection-molding grade high-density polyethylene (HDPE) were prepared and physically tested for their radiation shielding capabilities. Also, the mechanical properties of these composites were also investigated using the novel technique of AFM indentation. The goal is to create a composite material which exhibits advantageous properties in areas besides radiation shielding, i.e., structural or mechanical properties, which does not inhibit the shielding properties to provide multifunctionality which pure polyethylene materials lack.