Preparation and characterization of rubber-lead nanocomposite material as a protective shield against cobalt gamma radiation

The current study investigates the potential of styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) nanocomposite reinforced with nano-lead (N-Pb) as a protective shield against gamma radiation emitted from a Cobalt-60 (Co-60) source. The influence of varying N-Pb concentrations (50–300 parts per hundred parts of rubber, pphr) on the structural, morphological, and radiation-shielding characteristics was investigated. The nanocomposite was characterized using several analytical techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results demonstrate that increasing the N-Pb concentration leads to enhanced crystallinity, improved homogeneity, and significantly enhanced gamma radiation shielding capabilities of the material. Notably, the nanocomposite exhibited a substantial decrease in gamma count rate (31.9% reduction with 300 pphr N-Pb), mean free path (81% decrease), half-value layer (77% decrease), and tenth-value layer (87% decrease) as the N-Pb content increased. These findings highlight the promising potential of SBR-N-Pb nanocomposites as a cost-effective and efficient shielding material for various gamma radiation applications.