Rare Earth Oxide Polymer Radiation Shielding Sheet
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional radiation shielding materials, particularly those using lead or lead composites, pose environmental and safety hazards due to toxicity and high costs, while alternatives like tungsten and bismuth are expensive and have insufficient shielding capacity, leading to mobility issues and increased manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
A radiation shielding sheet is developed using an organic polymer material filled with oxide powder containing rare earth elements like lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, samarium, and gadolinium, with a controlled average grain size and filling ratio to achieve high radiation shielding performance while minimizing environmental and safety risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If lead or lead composite materials are used for radiation shielding, then high radiation shielding capacity is achieved, but environmental toxicity and safety hazards increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive and toxic lead with more economical and environmentally friendly rare earth element oxides (such as cerium oxide, lanthanum oxide, gadolinium oxide) that provide equivalent or superior radiation shielding capacity without the harmful effects of lead
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material by incorporating rare earth element oxide particles into a polymer matrix, combining the radiation shielding properties of the oxides with the flexibility and safety advantages of polymers to achieve both high shielding capacity and environmental compatibility
2Object-affected harmful factors
If tungsten or bismuth are used as alternatives to lead, then toxicity is reduced, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses rare earth element oxides which are more cost-effective than tungsten or bismuth while maintaining non-toxic properties, thereby reducing manufacturing costs without sacrificing safety
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the particle size (0.1-10 μm) and concentration (1-50 wt%) of rare earth oxide particles in the polymer matrix to achieve optimal radiation shielding performance at lower material costs compared to traditional heavy metals
3Ease of manufacture
If antimony or tin are used for radiation shielding, then cost is reduced, but shielding capacity becomes insufficient requiring increased thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite structure where rare earth element oxides are dispersed within a polymer matrix, achieving high shielding capacity in thin configurations by leveraging the high atomic number and density of the oxide particles
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses finely divided rare earth oxide particles (0.1-10 μm) with controlled size distribution to maximize shielding efficiency per unit thickness, achieving superior performance compared to bulk materials like antimony or tin at lower costs
4Reliability
If thicker shielding sheets are used to compensate for insufficient material capacity, then shielding performance improves, but mobility during handling deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes particle size (0.1-10 μm) and filling concentration (1-50 wt%) to achieve maximum shielding density in minimal thickness, maintaining mobility while ensuring adequate protection
Solution Approach 2:
The polymer matrix provides flexibility and light weight while the rare earth oxide particles provide shielding capacity, creating a composite that combines mobility with protective function
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a cost-effective, high-performance radiation shielding sheet that is safe for human exposure, environmentally friendly, and maintains structural integrity, effectively addressing the limitations of previous materials by optimizing the filling ratio and grain size of the oxide powder within the organic polymer matrix.
Implementation Method 1
the oxide powder has an average grain size of 1 to 20 μm, and a volumetric ratio of the shielding material filled in the radiation shielding sheet is 40 to 80 vol. %
Implementation Method 2
a radiation shielding sheet which is free from any environmental problems and safety problems for a human body, and having a highly radiation shielding performance
Data Source
AI summary
A radiation shielding sheet formed by filling a shielding material into an organic polymer material. The shielding material is an oxide powder containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd), samarium (Sm), europium (Eu) and gadolinium (Gd). The oxide powder has an average grain size of 1 to 20 μm, and a volumetric ratio of the shielding material filled in the radiation shielding sheet is 40 to 80 vol. %.