RADIATION SHIELDING CHARACTERISTICS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF STRENGTH FROM POLYSTYRENE STEEL COMPOSITE MATERIALS WITH HIGH METAL CONTENT

Experimental samples of composite materials with a polystyrene base were manufactured. Steel powder with a grain size of 230 µm was used for radiation shielding. Aluminum powder with a grain size of 20, 40 µm was used as a reinforcing additive. Using a 241Am ionizing radiation source (gamma quanta with energy 59.54 keV), measurements of the radiation shielding characteristics of these composite materials were carried out. Also, numerical calculations of the relative attenuation of the absorbed dose were performed. Experimental results and calculated data have a high coincidence. These composite materials effectively absorb gamma radiation with energies of up to 150 keV. Work was performed to determine the tensile strength of these samples at temperatures of 250, 290, 320 К. It was found that the maximum tensile strength (24.4 MPa) at a temperature of 290 К was for samples with the maximum amount of aluminum additive.