Radiation interaction characteristics and spectroscopic properties of novel produced Ni40Co10Cr10Al10Ti10B5Rx (x = 15; R: Mo, Ta, W, Nb, Gd) alloys for nuclear applications

Abstract The present study aims to develop five novel Ni-based alloys and systematically evaluate their radiation shielding performance. The elements Ni, Al, Ti, Cr, Co, B, Ta, Mo, Nb, Gd and W were selected for the development of Ni-based alloys with the composition Ni40Co10Cr10Al10Ti10B5Rx (x = 15; R: Mo, Ta, W, Nb, Gd). The attenuation parameters were determined using the Phy-X/PSD software and also compared with literature results. Furthermore, experimental results were obtained using X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy techniques. X-ray diffraction analysis demonstrates that all alloys crystallize primarily in the FCC structure; secondary phases emerge in dependence of refractory additions. The relationship between the content of Mo, Ta, W, Nb, Gd and the radiation protection capability of the alloys were evaluated. It can be noted that the alloy containing W exhibits superior shielding performance, whereas the alloys containing Nb and Gd show lower shielding capabilities. The findings of this study show that Ni-based alloys have favorable shielding properties for use as shielding materials in nuclear applications.