Fabrication of Novel (Biopolymer Blend-Lead Oxide Nanoparticles) Nanocomposites: Structural and Optical Properties for Low-Cost Nuclear Radiation Shielding

Abstract

Low-cost polymer nanocomposites prepared for the nuclear radiation shielding have highly linear attenuation coefficients, light weight, and elastic, good mechanical, optical, and dielectric properties. The carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)–polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) polymeric blend is prepared with concentrations: 60 wt.% CMC and 40 wt.% PVP. The lead oxide nanoparticles are added to the CMC–PVP blend with different concentrations: 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 wt.%. The structural and optical properties of (CMC–PVP–PbO2) nanocomposites are studied. The results show that the absorbance of the (CMC–PVP) blend increases and the energy band gap decreases, as the concentration of PbO2 nanoparticles increases. The optical constants of the (CMC–PVP) blend increase with the concentration of lead oxide nanoparticles. The (CMC–PVP–PbO2) nanocomposites have highly linear attenuation coefficients for gamma radiation.