Chemically formulated ceramic gamma ray irradiation shielding materials utilising red mud

Abstract

Novel shielding materials for electromagnetic radiations have been formulated using two different approaches using red mud and processed red mud based systems. The crystallographic aspect of multicomponent and multishielding phases, in the formulated shielding materials, on the shielding efficiency has been studied. The formulated shielding materials have been evaluated for radiation attenuation using Co-60 gamma ray irradiation source and were found to reduce the shielding thickness, i.e. half value thickness, to about 40–60% of concrete. The X-ray diffraction studies confirmed the presence of bafertisite, sanbornite, celsian and troilite as the major shielding phases and phosphates of aluminium and iron as the binder phases. The SEM revealed the highly compacted and continued integrated morphological features of various shielding phases. The unique combination of these different phases is responsible for providing bonding to the ceramic matrix leading to the effective shielding and mechanical properties.