Determination of Effective Atomic Number and Radiation Mass Attenuation Coefficient of the Bolus from Alginate Impression Material

Abstract

Alginate impression material is a material that is commonly used to print dentures. This material is made from alginate. The properties of this material are rubbery, elastic, and not easily deformed so it can be applied as a bolus. This study aims to determine the tissue equivalence of this material by looking at aspects of the effective atomic number and radiation mass attenuation coefficient. To determine the effective atomic number, we used the EDX results from the SEM machine and input the concentration data of each element from alginate gel with 20% water content into the Autozeff software. The radiation mass attenuation coefficient is simulated by calculations involving each element’s concentration, then confirmed by CT-Number obtained from CT-Scan images. We obtained an effective atomic number and mass attenuation coefficient from the calculation results, which are described as a function of photon energy. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that the bolus made from alginate impression material is equivalent to soft tissue and breast tissue.