Neutron shielding evaluation of concretes and mortars: A review

The purpose of this research is to present a complex method for the evaluation of the shielding efficiency of concretes and mortars used in biological shields against ionizing radiation, especially against neutrons. Since the commonly used fast neutron effective removal cross-section calculation does not take into account thermal neutron absorption reactions, an original method adopted from the fast neutron effective removal cross-section calculation based on the macroscopic cross-section calculation for compositions is therefore proposed. This method was used to compare the shielding efficiency of concretes and mortars previously investigated by researchers in the literature. It was used also to prove the efficiency of material modification by polymers, gadolinium and boron compounds, which significantly improves thermal neutron absorption. The proposed complex neutron shielding evaluation method will be very useful in the design of tailored shielding concrete in the future. (C) 2021 The Author. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Automated summary

This research presents a complex method for evaluating the shielding efficiency of concretes and mortars used in biological shields against ionizing radiation, particularly against neutrons. The study showed that material modification by polymers, gadolinium, and boron compounds can significantly enhance thermal neutron absorption, which is important for designing tailored shielding concrete in the future.