Work

Enhancing Radiation Shielding Properties of Pharmaceutical Polymers Through Zinc Oxide Incorporation: A Study on Gamma Energy Attenuation

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: An investigation was carried out to improve the gamma radiation shielding properties of Benecel K4M pharmaceutical polymer using zinc oxide (ZnO) at concentrations from 0 to 6 wt.%. Compressed composite tablet samples were prepared and tested in the range of photon energies 59.5 to 1332 keV for the assessment of various shielding parameters, including linear attenuation coefficient, radiation protection efficiency (RPE), and mean free path (MFP). As the ZnO content increased, the attenuation properties of the material showed improved shielding behavior, which was attributed to its high density and atomic number. At 59.9 keV, RPE increased from 6.9% for the pure polymer to 12.2% for the 6 wt.% composite, whereas MFP decreased from 13.9 cm to 7.6 cm. The results indicate that ZnO addition significantly enhances the shielding efficiency of Benecel K4M, demonstrating that ZnO can serve as a lightweight and non-toxic alternative to heavy-metal-based materials for pharmaceutical protection in radiation-rich environments.

Source: Polymers

DOI: 10.3390/polym17212859

Authors: Mohammad W. Marashdeh, Afnan Alsalman, Muthanna Abdulkarim

Institutions: Imam Mohammad ibn Saud Islamic University, Alfaisal University

Language: English

Topic: Radiation Shielding Materials Analysis

Subfield: Materials Chemistry

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,258