Tungsten Alloy as Radiation Protection Materials

The radiation shielding effects of some tungsten alloy was evaluated usig ¹³³Ba(356 keV) and ¹³⁷Cs(660 keV)γ-ray sources. Tungsten carbide had about the same effect as the commonly used lead, while tungsten copper alloy gave as good a performance as tungsten. The results of transmittance measurements for these materials, as well as of their Monte-Carlo simulation, are reported.

The denser the material, the better able it is to protect from radiation. That is why tungsten alloy material absorb X-rays and gamma radiation particularly well. Lead is still the most frequently used shielding material. Because it is a very soft material, it is mostly used only in combination with support structures made of steel.