Development and Evaluation of Epoxy-Based Composites Containing NiO, Cr₂O₃, MnO₂, FeB and TiB₂ for Enhanced Neutron Shielding Performance

Year 2025, Volume: 11 Issue: 1-2, 9 - 16, 29.12.2025

Bünyamin Aygün , Abdulhalik Karabulut

Abstract

Epoxy-based multifunctional composites reinforced with NiO, Cr₂O₃, MnO₂, FeB, and TiB₂ were developed and evaluated for their neutron shielding performance. Monte Carlo simulations using the GEANT4 code and experimental measurements showed that neutron attenuation efficiency strongly depends on the filler composition and material density. The background radiation dose of 1.4280 µSv/h was used as a reference for calculating the radiation protection efficiency (RPE).
Among the reference materials, paraffin, ordinary concrete (OC), and hematite–serpentine concrete (H-SC) exhibited RPE values of 30.18%, 21.76%, and 20.82%, respectively. In contrast, epoxy–ceramic hybrid composites (CS1–CS4) displayed higher efficiencies, ranging from 38.10% to 40.60%, confirming their superior shielding capability. The CS3 sample, containing 26% NiO, 9% TiB₂, and 7% FeB with a density of 4.51 g/cm³, showed the best performance due to the synergistic effects of high atomic number oxides and boron-rich phases.
Overall, increasing NiO, TiB₂, and FeB contents while optimizing density significantly improved neutron absorption and scattering. The combination of boron-based compounds and transition-metal oxides provided a dual mechanism for fast-neutron moderation and thermal-neutron capture. These results suggest that the developed epoxy–metal oxide–boron composites are promising lightweight materials for shielding against neutron and gamma radiation in nuclear reactors, radiation facilities, and aerospace systems.

Keywords

Neutron , Composite , Geant4

References

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