Low melting point MCP-69, MCP-96, MCP-137, and MCP-200 alloys for radiation protection in radiological and therapeutic processes

Abstract

Objective

To evaluate the low melting-point MCP-69, MCP-96, MCP-137, and MCP-200 alloys, and characterize them for their potential to protect from the harms associated with radiation and eliminate radiation hazards during radiological procedures and treatment of cancer.

Methods

The Klein-Nishina formula was used to calculate the electronic and atomic cross-sections of these alloys using photon beams with energies 4, 6, 9, 12, and 18 ​MeV. Energy transfer coefficients, Compton mass attenuation coefficient, mass-energy transfer coefficient, and recoil energy of electrons in the specific photon energies of 4–18 ​MeV were calculated. The alloys' effective charge number and the photon energy were key factors in determining the properties found by utilizing the Klein-Nishina formula and Compton effects.

Results

The cross sections and energy transfer coefficients increased with the increasing effective charge number Z of the alloys and decreased as the photon energy increased. The Compton recoil of the ejected electrons was observed to have a direct relationship with photon energy, but mass-energy transfer decreased with increasing photon energy. These alloys can replace the toxic lead for environmentally cleaned radiation applications.

Conclusions

These calculations and characteristics of the MCP alloys can help further determine their viability as materials for radiation shielding, their use in safe cancer diagnosis, treatment, and environmental hazards protection.