Radiation Shielding Performance of B 4 C‐Reinforced Ultra‐High Molecular Weight Polyethylene Composites Against Low‐Energy X‐Rays: Experimental and Computational Analysis

ABSTRACT The present study investigates the radiation shielding performance of ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) composites reinforced with varying boron carbide (B 4 C) contents against low‐energy X‐rays through combined experimental and computational approaches. The microstructural characteristics of the fabricated composites were examined using fracture surface scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while their shielding performance was experimentally evaluated under X‐ray tube voltages ranging from 30 to 50 kVp. The experimental results were analyzed in terms of the linear attenuation coefficient (LAC), mass attenuation coefficient (MAC), mean free path (MFP), half‐value layer (HVL), tenth‐value layer (TVL), effective atomic number (Z eff ), effective electron density (N eff ), effective conductivity (C eff ), atomic and electronic cross sections (ACS and ECS), transmission factor (TF), radiation protection efficiency (RPE), and the stopping powers of electrons, protons, neutrons, and alpha particles. Computational analyses were performed using MATLAB and the Phy‐X software package, while the calculated charged particle stopping powers were validated against the NIST ESTAR, PSTAR, and ASTAR reference databases. The results revealed that increasing the B 4 C content significantly enhanced the photon attenuation capability of the composites by increasing the LAC, MAC, Z eff , and RPE values, while simultaneously reducing the MFP, HVL, TVL, and TF values. Moreover, excellent agreement was achieved between the experimental measurements and computational predictions, confirming the reliability of the adopted computational methodology. Overall, the findings demonstrate that B 4 C‐reinforced UHMWPE composites possess considerable potential as lightweight, flexible, and environmentally friendly radiation shielding materials for low‐energy X‐ray applications, including medical imaging, industrial nondestructive testing, and radiation protection systems.