Investigation of the Gamma Attenuation Behaviors on the ZK60-Based Composite Materials

Year 2025, Volume: 12 Issue: 3, 756 - 769, 30.09.2025

Yakup Ünal , Zübeyde Özkan , Uğur Gökmen

https://doi.org/10.54287/gujsa.1758643

Abstract

In this study, the interaction of ZK60-based composite materials with gamma rays was investigated using the Phy-x/PSD software. To understand the photon interaction with these composite materials, fundamental parameters including MFP (mean free path), Zeff (effective atomic number), HVL (half-value layer), LAC (linear attenuation coefficient), effective electron density (Neff), MAC (mass attenuation coefficient), and tenth-value layer (TVL) were theoretically calculated for the energy range of 0.001 MeV to 10 MeV. The outcomes showed that rising the BaSO₄ content in Mg-based composite materials led to a decline in HVL, MFP, and TVL values. Especially in the low-energy range, HVL values varied between 4.386 cm-2.456 cm, TVL values between 14.570 cm-8.158 cm, and MFP values between 6.328 cm-3.543 cm. Conversely, an increase in BaSO₄ content caused an increase in LAC and MAC values. Because of the high atomic number (Z) and of barium, 50BaSO₄ showed the highest Zeff and Neff values, 17.54 for Zeff and 9.35 × 10²³ electrons/g for Neff.

Keywords

ZK60 , BaSO4 , Phy-X , Gamma Shielding

Supporting Institution

GAZİ BAP

Project Number

FGA-2025-10068 and FKA-2023-8617

Thanks

This work was supported by Gazi University BAP with project numbers FGA-2025-10068 and FKA-2023-8617.

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