Determination of Radiation Shielding Properties of Magnesium Oxychloride Cement with Acidic and Basic Pumice Aggregate

New generation cements have been the subject of more research in recent years, especially due to their benefits in terms of carbon emissions. One of the important advantages of new-generation cement production is that it causes a significant reduction in environmental impact. Magnesium oxychloride cement (MOC) is a non-hydraulic binder formed by the chemical reaction of magnesia powder with a MgCl2 solution. It exhibits outstanding mechanical and physical properties such as high early strength, good workability, and low density. In addition, MOC is suitable for use in fire-resistant coatings. In this study, pumice was used as aggregate in concrete produced using magnesium oxychloride cement, and the radiation shielding properties of this concrete were investigated experimentally and using XCOM. Pumice is the preferred lightweight aggregate in lightweight concrete production. In the study, both basic pumice and acidic pumice were used to demonstrate the radiation shielding properties. The comparison between experimental and XCOM data reveals a consistent trend where experimental radiation attenuation values are slightly higher than XCOM predictions, particularly at lower energies, highlighting the importance of careful material selection and the potential of innovative mix designs to improve the performance of concrete.