Development of New Radiation Shielding Materials: The Role of Rare Earth Elements

Bismuth and Lead are commonly used for radiation shielding to mitigate risks such as radiation damage and cancer. However, these materials are costly and impractical for certain applications. This study aims to explore the attenuation properties of various elements and composites using Monte Carlo simulations to develop improved radiation shielding materials. GAMOS software was employed to simulate materials with thicknesses ranging from 0.1 to 2.0 mm and x-ray energies between 10 and 150 keV. Initial simulations focused on validating bismuth and lead by calculating their mass attenuation coefficients, which matched NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) values within a 2% margin of difference. After verification, the study simulated various shielding materials incorporating metals and rare earth elements. Among these, four composites with rare earth elements demonstrating the highest mass attenuation coefficients were selected. These composites exhibited superior absorption in the 50–80 keV energy range compared to bismuth and lead.