About this Abstract |
Meeting |
MS&T23: Materials Science & Technology
|
Symposium
|
Ceramics for New Generation Nuclear Energy System Application
|
Presentation Title |
Development of Radiation Attenuating Geopolymer-particulate Composites |
Author(s) |
Alex Fields, Jianxin Zhou, Ali Ozer, Angela Di Fulvio, Waltraud Kriven |
On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Alex Fields |
Abstract Scope |
Geopolymers are hydrated, inorganic aluminosilicate polymers of the composition 1 M2O·1 Al2O3·4 SiO2·11-15 H2O with M = Na, K, or Cs. To develop a viscosity tunable, thixotropic radiation shielding solution, geopolymers were used in this study to accommodate filler phases with a high probability of interaction with ionizing radiation. The gamma-ray and neutron shielding abilities of tungsten and boron carbide dispersed in potassium-based geopolymers were investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to explore changes in the bulk geopolymer, dispersant-matrix binding, and crystallinity before and after radiation. The shortening of the amorphous geopolymer XRD peak and surface changes indicative of water loss were observed after irradiation. The radiation shielding fractions for gamma rays, fast neutrons, and thermal neutrons were demonstrated to be higher or comparable to that of current high-density concrete. |