A new nanocomposite of copper oxide and magnetite intercalated into Attapulgite clay to enhance the radiation shielding

The effects of Magnetite (Fe3O4) on the radiation shielding properties of different nanocomposites from Attapulgite (ATP) intercalated with different copper oxide (CuO) and magnetite nano (Fe3O4) concentrations were investigated. Different nanocomposites from ATP intercalated with different copper oxide CuO and magnetite nano Fe3O4 concentrations have been synthesized and implemented toward radiation attenuation. The different percent were as the following 40% ATP + X Fe3O4 + (60%–X) CuO that abbreviated to [AT40FeXCu60-x] where X = 15.0%, 30.0%, 45.0%. The ATP and one of the prepared nanocomposites have been characterized using different techniques: FT-IR, TGA, XRD, EDX, and SEM. The density of the synthesized materials was determined. Then their radiation shielding properties were established using GEANT4 and Phy-X software in the selected range of photon energies of 0.015 – 15 MeV. The linear attenuation coefficient (μ), the mass attenuation coefficient (μm), the mean free path (MFP), the half value layer (T1/2), the tenth value layer (T1/10), the effective atomic number (Zeff), and the equivalent atomic number (Zeq) have been calculated to find out the radiation shielding characteristics of the new novel nanocomposites. The μm values were varied from 4.5894 to 0.0204 cm2 g-1 for Base, from 11.9780 to 0.02172 cm2 g-1 for AT40Fe15Cu45, from 12.5030 to 0.02190 cm2 g-1 for AT40Fe45Cu15 and finally from 12.2480 to 0.02181 cm2 g-1 for AT40Fe30Cu30 at photon energy range from 0.015 to 15 MeV. The results showed that the values of the radiation shielding parameters increased with increasing nano Fe3O4 concentration, and the AT40Fe45Cu15 sample has the highest μm and μ and lowest T1/2, T1/10 and MFP. The results of this study have important implications for the development of new radiation-shielding materials. ATP-doped Fe3O4-CuO glasses are a promising new class of radiation shielding materials with improved properties. In conclusion, the study found that the nanocomposite materials with higher nano Fe3O4 concentration have better shielding qualities against γ-rays and neutrons. The AT40Fe45Cu15 sample has the highest shielding qualities for γ-rays, while the AT40Fe30Cu30 sample has the highest fast neutron removal cross-section.