Performance Evaluation According to Polymer Encapsulation Characteristics of Eco-Friendly Plastic Gamma-Ray Shield

Abstract

To eliminate the exposure of medical staff to radiopharmaceuticals during nuclear medicine tests, a new process technology was proposed for manufacturing gamma-ray shields used in nuclear medicine. In the case of manufacturing the existing gamma-ray shield, a method of increasing the content of the shielding material in the mixed material is used to improve the shielding performance. However, it is impossible to improve the shielding performance by simply increasing the content of the shielding material. Therefore, this study aims to present the optimal conditions for improving the miscibility between composite materials. Following the additional mixing of barium sulfate and bismuth oxide with tungsten, a syringe shield was developed via a plastic injection mold process. When tungsten was solely used or in combination with other shielding materials, polymer encapsulation occurred, and miscibility between composite materials was observed. Based on these results, the optimal conditions in terms of eco-friendly materials, economic feasibility, and improvement in shielding performance were determined. The findings of this study reveal that when tungsten and the polymers are combined, the polymer encapsulation is optimal, the particles are uniformly dispersed, and the shielding performance is significantly improved. With a 99mTc source, a 6.9% improvement in the shielding performance is achieved compared with the use of lead.