Bismuth oxide-coated fabrics for X-ray shielding

Lead aprons are widely used in medical imaging to protect radiographers and patients from harmful radiation. However, lead is not a desirable material for use in wearable radiation protection due to its heavy weight, inflexibility, poor durability, and toxicity. In this study, we explored the suitability of bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) coating for textiles as an alternative to lead. The intention was to demonstrate the concept and technology that will achieve a lead-equivalent lightweight X-ray protective textile material with improved wearability. The primary objective was to evaluate the X-ray shielding efficiency of two textile materials coated with Bi2O3. To do so, X-ray exposures were made at the system setting of 80 kVp, 12 mAs, and 80 SID (the distance from the X-ray beam source to the specimen). It is evident from this study that Bi2O3 in a suitable resin matrix can be coated on fabrics and is an effective method to produce flexible, wearable, and lead-free aprons. Coated polyester fabrics with over 50% Bi2O3 showed enhanced shielding ability for transmitted X-rays. This research has shown that microparticle size Bi2O3 can be effective for X-ray attenuation.