Abstract:
Radiation shielding is essential in areas involving ionizing radiation, such as the nuclear industry, nuclear medicine, and scientific research. To ensure the safety of professionals involved and the environment, it is necessary to use appropriate shielding materials, such as lead, aluminum, iron and concrete. This article aims to conduct a review of the use of these materials in the nuclear industry and medicine applied to radiological protection. Lead is a high-density material, with a high atomic number and one of the cheapest and easily obtainable materials among high-density materials, which makes it efficient in absorbing X-rays and gamma rays. Aluminum is a lightweight and sturdy material that is commonly used as a coating in shielding for low-energy X-rays. Iron, on the other hand, is also a high-density material and an efficient photon attenuator in a wide energy range. Concrete can be divided into common concrete and heavy concrete, each with its composition, but generally composed of different elements such as cement, sand, gravel, barite, aggregates in general, and water and can be used for the construction of walls and slabs in medical facilities and as a neutron moderator in nuclear facilities. It is often used to attenuate secondary radiation in nuclear medicine facilities.The combination of these materials can increase the efficiency of shielding. For example, a shielding structure can be built with layers of lead, aluminum, and concrete to increase the efficiency in attenuating radiation and use different properties and characteristics for a common goal.