Synthesis of pristine CaZrO3 and CaZrO3/Pr6O11 ceramic samples and assessment of their radiation protection features

The past few decades have witnessed significant variations in the use of shielding materials and ionizing radiation. The use of ceramics as shields for protection against radiation has attracted interest in research owing to exceptional properties that distinguish them from other materials that are available to this end. Calcium zirconate (CaZrO3) is a lead-free ceramic material that exhibits good physicochemical properties, and is considered to be a good host for lanthanide elements, such as praseodymium ions, where this makes it a suitable alternative to lead and lead-based compounds as well as a promising candidate for use in radiation protection. In this study, we examine the radiation shielding properties of pristine CaZrO3 and Pr6O11/CaZrO3 ceramic samples by using Monte Carlo simulations. The formation of the desired phase was identified by the XRD technique. The data analysis indicated that the samples crystallized into an orthorhombic structure. The densities of the pristine CaZrO3 and the Pr6O11/CaZrO3 samples were 4.20 g/cm3 and 4.54 g/cm3, respectively. The analysis of their radiation shielding properties indicated an improvement in their linear attenuation coefficient (LAC), with values of 59.3%, 24.4%, 11.3%, and 8.1% at & gamma;-photon energies of 0.121 MeV, 0.356 MeV, 0.662 MeV, and 2.506 MeV, respectively, when Pr6O11 was added to CaZrO3. The improvement in the LAC of the prepared samples was accompanied by a considerable reduction in their half-value thickness, lead-equivalent thickness, and transmission factor.

Automated summary

This study investigates the radiation shielding properties of calcium zirconate and praseodymium calcium zirconate ceramic samples using Monte Carlo simulations. The results show that the addition of praseodymium improves the linear attenuation coefficient and reduces the half-value thickness, lead-equivalent thickness, and transmission factor.