Rhizophora-based particleboard bonded with soy flour and lignin as potential phantom

Abstract

Rhizophora-based particleboard was evaluated for its suitability as phantom material, especially in medical physics applications. The elemental composition, effective atomic number, micrographic structures, computed tomography (CT), and attenuation properties of Rhizophora-based particleboards were examined. These investigations considered three different particle sizes and three distinct adhesive mixtures. Rhizophora sample at particle sizes of 0 to 103 µm, with 4.5% soy flour and 1.5% lignin (C6) presented with a homogenous compound with better uniformity compared with other samples, and Rhizophora sample at particle sizes of 104 to 210 µm, with 9% soy flour and 3% lignin (B12) demonstrated an effective atomic number of 8.15, which is similar to water. C6 also presented with a density distribution profile with close proximity to water. The measured attenuation coefficients of samples were aligned closely with those of water, as determined by XCOM. The results suggest that the formulation of soy flour and lignin as adhesives for Rhizophora-based particleboard is suitable for the fabricating of phantom material for medical physics applications, especially mainly due to its natural origin.