Radiation Shielding of <scp>Gd₂O₃</scp>/<scp>B₄C</scp>/<scp>HDPE</scp> Composite Materials With High Specific Surface Area of Corrugated Layers

ABSTRACT The growing use of nuclear technology in industrial, medical, and military applications has led to significant advancements but also poses serious health risks due to the high‐energy radiation it generates. Effective radiation shielding is critical for protecting humans from the harmful effects of this radiation. This study explores the development of novel radiation shielding materials based on Gd 2 O 3 microplates, B 4 C powder, and HDPE matrix composites. The paper investigates the impact of Gd 2 O 3 's specific surface area on the neutron and gamma shielding performance of the composites. The results show that the incorporation of Gd 2 O 3 significantly enhances the radiation shielding capabilities of the composite materials, with the best performance observed at an R value of 25, where the composites exhibit the lowest neutron and gamma transmittance. The study demonstrates that composites with higher specific surface area and more uniform particle sizes lead to better radiation attenuation, suggesting the potential for Gd 2 O 3 ‐based composites in advanced radiation protection applications.