X-ray Shielding Properties of Natural Rubber/BaSO4 Foam Composites

In this study, lead-free X-ray shielding materials were fabricated using natural rubber (NR) and barium sulfate (BaSO₄) with various BaSO₄ filler loadings of 0, 50, 75, and 100 phr. The X-ray shielding properties of NR/BaSO₄ foam composites were investigated at X-ray tube voltages of 60, 70, 80, and 90 kVp. The results showed that the X-ray attenuation efficiency increased with higher BaSO₄ filler content and material thickness but slightly decreased with increasing voltages. The X-ray radiation attenuation properties were analyzed using the linear attenuation coefficient ( ) and the mass attenuation coefficient ( ). The results indicated that both coefficients increased with higher BaSO₄ filler content but decreased as the voltage increased. In contrast, the half-value layer ( ) decreased with increasing BaSO₄ filler content but increased with higher voltages. In conclusion, NR/BaSO₄ foam composites have great potential for developing flexible and environmentally friendly X-ray shielding materials.