Abstract
The utilization of waste rubber powder in polymer matrices provides an attractive strategy for polymer waste disposal. In this study lead free composite material samples for anti– radiation purposes were produced. To attain this goal, 15 wt. % of recycled acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBRr) were added to Naturalrubber (NR) to prepare the composite’s matrix part. Then the matrix was incorporated with various hard materials wastes such as iron particulates, iron fillings and slags brought from different industry zones. The amounts of the added particulates were ranged from 15–75 wt%. All fabricated samples were assessed for their anti-radiation attenuation properties. The attenuation measurements were performed using gamma spectrometer of NaI (Tl) detector. The utilized radiation sources comprised 137Cs and 60Co radioactive elements with photon energies of 0.662 MeV for 137Cs and two energy levels of 1.17 and 1.33MeV for 60Co. Likewise theHalf-Value Layer (HVL) and the mean free paths (Mfp) for the tested samples were obtained. The aim of this work is to investigate the effects of the waste loading rates, the particulate types and their dispersive manner within the rubber blends on the attenuation coefficients. The maximum linear attenuation coefficient (m)was attained for rubber incorporates iron particulates wastes of 65 wt. %. They were of 0.0510± 3.2123 ×10-3for 137Cs and 0.0346± 6.973×10-3and 0.0182±1.297×10-3 for 60Cofor the energies of 0.662, 1.17and 1.33 MeV respectively. A Significant improvement of attenuation performance was achieved by 25%–30% for rubber samples incorporate iron particulate. The tested samples were examined using different techniques, metallographic facilities, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, and hardness and measurement facilities. The microstructure, homogeneity, particulate dispersion, porosity and structure defects, and the mechanical properties of the fabricated samples were studied and evaluated. Keywords: Attenuation coefficient, radioactive, wastes iron filings, NR/NBRr blends, SEM, NaI (Tl), steel slag