Photon shielding and neutron interaction behavior in natural rubber composites reinforced with hybrid oyster shell–derived CaCO3/BaCl2 fillers

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Chutithanapanon, Natsupon and Banyen, Pitisan and Sooksil, Chaloemkiad and Kaewjaeng, Siriprapa and Sukhawipat, Nathapong and Sosa, Narongrit and Yenchai, Chadet and Yang, Liu and Chailad, Wichian (2026) Photon shielding and neutron interaction behavior in natural rubber composites reinforced with hybrid oyster shell–derived CaCO3/BaCl2 fillers. Radiation Physics and Chemistry, 246. 113949. ISSN 0969-806X (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radphyschem.2026.113949)

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Abstract

The development of flexible, lightweight, and sustainable radiation-shielding composites is important for medical and portable protection. Here, we design a lead-free natural rubber (NR) composite reinforced with a ball-milled hybrid filler derived from oyster shell CaCO3 and barium chloride (BaCl2·2H2O). The hybrid particulate design combines a bio-waste mineral phase with a high-atomic-number component to enhance attenuation while retaining elastomeric deformability. Photon attenuation was evaluated at 81, 122, and 342 keV using Co-57 and Ba-133 sources. With increasing filler loading (0–150 phr), the mass attenuation coefficient increased by around 8–9× at 81 keV, around 5× at 122 keV, and around 2× at 342 keV, while the half-value layer decreased by up to around 90%, 80%, and 50%, respectively. These trends are consistent with increased effective atomic number and electron density, promoting photoelectric absorption at low energies and Compton scattering at higher energies. SEM/EDX confirms the incorporation and microscale distribution of Ba- and Cl-containing domains, while high loadings introduce porosity/agglomeration that moderates density and mechanical reinforcement. Neutron measurements further show complementary shielding behavior, where hydrogen-rich NR moderates fast neutrons and chlorine-containing phases contribute to thermal neutron capture. The results demonstrate a sustainable multifunctional elastomer composite for dual photon–neutron shielding.

ORCID iDs

Chutithanapanon, Natsupon, Banyen, Pitisan, Sooksil, Chaloemkiad, Kaewjaeng, Siriprapa, Sukhawipat, Nathapong, Sosa, Narongrit, Yenchai, Chadet, Yang, Liu ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8475-1757 and Chailad, Wichian;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)